' 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


POPULAR  WORKS 


llard 


THE  SOLDIER-  AUTHOR. 


I.  Soldiers  of  the  Saddle. 
II.   Capture,  Prison-Pen,  and  Escape. 
HI.   Battles  for  the  Union. 
IV.    Heroes  of  Three  Wars. 

V.  Peculiarities  of  American  Cities. 

VI.  Down  the  Great  River. 

Captain  Glazier's  works  are  growing  more  and  more 
popular  every  day.  Their  delineations  of  military  life, 
constantly  varying  scene*,  and  deeply  interesting  stories, 
combine  to  place  their  writer  iu  the  front  rank  of  Amer- 
ican author*. 


SOLD  OSLY  BY  SUBSCRIPTION. 

PERSONS  DESIRING  AGENCIES  FOR  ANY  OF  CAPTAIN  GLAZIER'S 
BOOKS  SHOULD  ADDRESS 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1880,  by 

JOHN  ALGERNON  OWENS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


PREFACE. 


Nt)  apology  will  be  required  from  the  author  for  pre- 
senting to  the  public  some  episodes  iu  the  useful  career  of 
a  self-made  man ;  and  while  the  spirit  of  patriotism  con- 
tinues to  animate  the  sturdy  sons  of  America,  the  story  of 
one  of  them  who  has  exemplified  this  national  trait  in  a 
conspicuous  measure,  will  be  deemed  not  unworthy  of 
record.  The  lessons  it  teaches,  more  especially  to  the 
young,  are  those  of  uncompromising  duty  in  every  relation 
of  life — self-denial,  perseverance  and  "  pluck  ; "  while  the 
successive  stages  of  a  course  which  led  ultimately  to  a  bril- 
liant  success,  may  be  studied  with  some  advantage  by  those 
just  entering  upon  the  business  of  life.  As  a  soldier, 
Willard  Glazier  was  "  without  fear  and  without  reproach." 
As  an  author,  it  is  sufficient  to  gay,  he  is  appreciated  by 
his  contemporaries — than  which,  on  a  literary  man,  no 

^     higher  encomium  can  be  passed.     The  sale  of  nearly  half 

^     a  million  copies  of  one  of  his  productions  is  no  slight  tes- 

uj      timonial  to  its  value. 

Biography,  to  be  interesting,  must  be  a  transcript  of  an 

5g  eventful,  as  well  as  a  remarkable  career ;  and  to  be  in- 
structive, its  subject  should  be  exemplary  in  his  aims,  and 
in  his  mode  of  attaining  them.  The  hero  of  this  story 
comes  fully  up  to  the  standard  thus  indicated.  His  career 
has  been  a  romance.  Born  of  parents  of  small  means  but 
of  excellent  character  and  repute  ;  and  bred  and  nurtured 
in  the  midst  of  some  of  the  wildest  and  grandest  scenery 

(v) 
443313 


vi  PREFACE. 

in  the^  rugged  county  of  St.  Lawrence,  close  by  the 
"  Thousand  Isles,"  where  New  York  best  proves  her  right 
to  be  called  the  Empire  State  through  the  stamp  of  royalty 
on  her  hills  and  streams — under  the  shadow  of  such  sur- 
roundings as  these,  my  subject  attained  maturity,  with  no 
opportunities  for  culture  except  those  he  made  for  himself. 
Yet  he  became  possessed  of  an  education  eminently  useful, 
essentially  practical  and  calculated  to  establish  just  such 
habits  of  self-reliance  and  decision  as  afterwards  proved 
chiefly  instrumental  in  his  success.  Glazier  had  a  fixed 
ambition  to  rise.  He  felt  that  the  task  would  be  difficult 
of  accomplishment — that  he  must  be  not  only  the  architect, 
but  the  builder  of  his  own  fortunes ;  and,  as  the  statue 
grows  beneath  the  sculptor's  hand  to  perfect  contour  from 
the  unshapely  block  of  marble,  so  prosperity  came  to  Captain 
Glazier  only  after  he  had  cut  and  chiseled  away  at  the 
hard  surface  of  inexorable  circu/ustance,  and  moulded 
therefrom  the  statue  of  his  destiny. 

J.  A.  O. 
PHILADELPHIA,  June  14th,  1880. 


TO 

ULYSSES  SIMPSON  GRANT, 

WHOSE     SWORD, 

AND   TO 

HENRY  WADSWORTH  LONGFELLOW, 

WHOSE    PEN, 

ftabe  so  Koblg  Elluatratetj  tf)t  Genius  anti  Falor  of  tfjrtt  Countrj 
THE  AUTHOR, 

IN   A   SPIRIT   OF    PROPOUND   ADMIRATION   FOR 
THE  RENOWNED  SOLDIER, 

AND   OP   MEASURELESS   GRATITUDE   TO 
THE  IMMORTAL  WRITER, 

{)i&  Book. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PORTRAIT  OF  THE  SOLDIER-AUTHOR Frontispiece 

BIRTHPLACE  OF  WILLARD  GLAZIER 26 

THE  FIRST  BATTLE 32 

RACE  WITH  THE  SCHOOLMASTER 44 

TRAGIC  EXPERIENCE  WITH  AN  OX-TEAM 80 

THE  YOUNG  TRAPPER  OF  THE  OSWEGATCHIE 90 

A  CAVALRY  COLUMN  ON  THE  MARCH 118 

NIGHT  ATTACK  ON  FALMOUTH  HEIGHTS 126 

ILLICIT  TRADING  ON  THE  RAPPAHAXNOCK 130 

BURIAL  OF  CAPTAIN  WALTERS  AT  MID-NIGHT 134 

SERGEANT  GLAZIER  AT  ALDIE 146 

LIEUTENANT  GLAZIER  AT  BRANDY  STATION 15(5 

CAVALRY  FIGHT  AT  NEW  BALTIMORE— LIEUTENANT  GLAZIER 

TAKEN  PRISONER 160 

LIBBY  PRISON 166 

THE  HOLE  IN  THE  FLOOR 192 

TUNNELING— THE  NARROW  PATH  TO  FREEDOM 1U8 

CHARLESTON  JAIL— CHARLESTON,  SOUTH  CAROLINA 206 

THE  ESCAPE  FROM  COLUMBIA— CROSSING  THE  DEAD-LINE 216 

THE  ESCAPE— FED  BY  NEGROES  IN  A  SWAMP 220 

THE  PURSUIT  OF  KNOWLEDGE  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES 224 

UNCLE  ZEB'S  PRAYER 232 

THE  ESCAPE— CROSSING  THE  SAVANNAH  AT  MIDNIGHT 246 

A  MUTUAL  SURPRISE 258 

RECAPTURED  BY  A  CONFEDERATE  OUTPOST 266 

THE  ESCAPE  AND  PURSUIT : 270 

THE  ESCAPE  FROM  SYLVANIA,  GEORGIA 276 

INTERVIEW  WITH  JOEL  MUNSELI 306 

CAVALRY  FOKAGING-PARTY  RETURNING  TO  CAMP 312 

A  CAVALRY  BIVOUAC 320 

BATTLE  OF  GETTYSBURG ; 332 

CAPTAIN  GLAZIER  AT  TREMONT  TEMPLE— BOSTON 364 

BOSTON  TO  BRIGHTON— FIRST  DAY  OF  THE  JOURNEY 376 

A  NIGHT  AMONG  WOLVES 406 

CAPTURED  BY  INDIANS,  NEAR  SKULL  ROCKS,  WYOMING 412 

PURSUED  BY  ARRAPAHOES ~ 418 

RIDING  INTO  THE  PACIFIC,  NEAR  CLIFF  HOUSE— SAN  FRAN- 
CISCO   428 

CAPTAIN  GLAZIER  EMBARKING  FOR  THE  HEADWATERS  OF 

THE  MISSISSIPPI 454 

CAMP  AMONG  THE  PINES 458 

MAKING  A  PORTAGE 461 

LAKE  GLAZIER— SOURCE  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 468 

MAP  ILLUSTRATIVE  OF  CAPTAIW  GLAZIER'S  EXPLORATIONS....  474 
CAPTAIN  GLAZIER  RUNNING  RAPIDS  ON  UPPER  MISSISSIPPI...  478 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE   GLAZIER  FAMILY. 

Lineage  of  Willard  Glazier. — A  good  stock. — Oliver  Glazier  at 
the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill. — The  home  of  honest  industry.— 
The  Coronet  of  Pembroke. — The  "Homestead  Farm." — Mehi- 
table  Bolton. — Her  New  England  home. — Her  marriage  to 
Ward  Glazier.— The  wild  "  North  Woods."— The  mother  of  the 
soldier-author 21 

CHAPTER  II. 

BIRTH   AND   CHILDHOOD  OF   WILLARD  GLAZIER. 

The  infant  stranger. — A  mother's  prayers. — "  Be  just  before  yon 
are  generous." — Careful  training. — Willard  Glazier's  first  bat- 
tle.— A  narrow  escape. — Facing  the  foe. — The  "  happy  days  of 
childhood." — "  The  boy  is  father  to  the  man  "  .  .  27 

CHAPTER  III. 

EARLY   LIFE  AND   HABITS. 

Scotch-Irish  Presbyterianism  of  twenty-five  years  ago. — The  "  little 
deacon." — First  days  at  school. — Choosing  a  wife. — A  youthful 
gallant. — A  close  scholar  but  a  wild  lad. — A  mother's  influence. 
— Ward  Glazier  a  Grahamite. — Young  Willard's  practical  jokes. 
—  Anecdote  of  Crystal  Spring.  — "  That  is  something  like 
water "  34 

CHAPTER  IV. 

WILLARD   GLAZIER  AT  SCHOOL. 

School-days  continued. — Boys  will  be  boys. — Cornelius  Carter,  the 
teacher. — Young  Willard's  rebellion  against  injustice. — Gum- 
chewing. — Laughable  race  through  the  snow. — The  tumble  into 
a  snow-bank,  and  what  came  of  it. — The  runaway  caught. — 
Explanation  and  reconciliation. — The  new  master,  James  Nichols. 
— "Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child." — The  age  of  chivalry 
not  gone. — Magnanimity  of  a  school-boy. — Friendship  between 
Willard  and  Henry  Abbott. — Good-bye  to  the  "  little  deacon  "  42 


x  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

ECCENTRICITIES  OF   HENRY   GLAZIER. 

Henry  Glazier. — A  singular  character. — "  Kaw-shaw-gan-ce  "  and 
"  Quaw-taw-pee-ah.''— Tom  Lolar  and  Henry  Glazier. — Attrac- 
tive show-bills. — Billy  Muldoon  and  his  trombone. — Behind  the 
scenes. — "  Sound  your  G  !  " — The  mysterious  musician. — What 
happened  to  Billy. — "  May  the  divil  fly  away  wid  ye  !  "  .  50 

CHAPTER  VI. 

VISIONS  OF  THE  FUTURE. 

The  big  uncle  and  the  little  nephew. — Exchange  of  ideas  between 
the  eccentric  Henry  Glazier  and  young  Willard. — Inseparable 
companions. — Willard's  early  reading.  —  Favorite  authors. — 
Hero-worship  of  the  first  Napoleon  and  Charles  XII.  of 
Sweden. — The  genius  of  good  and  of  evil. — Allen  Wight. — A 
born  teacher. — Reverses  of  fortune. — The  shadow  on  the  home. 
— Willard's  resolve  to  seek  his  fortune  and  what  came  of 
it. — The  sleep  under  the  trees. — The  prodigal's  return. — "All's 
well  that  ends  well " 58 

CHAPTER  VII. 

WILLARD  GLAZIER   AT   HOME. 

Out  of  boyhood. — Days  of  adolescence. — True  family  pride. — 
Schemes  for  the  future. — Willard  as  a  temperance  advocate. — 
Watering  his  grandfather's  whiskey. — The  pump  behind  the  hill. 
— The  sleigh-ride  by  night. — The  "  shakedown  "  at  Edward's. 
— Intoxicated  by  tobacco  fumes. — The  return  ride. — Landed  in  a 
snow-bank. — Good-bye  horses  and  sleigh! — Plodding  through  the 
snow  .  68 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

ADVENTURES — EQUINE   AND   BOVINE. 

Ward  Glazier  moves  to  the  Davis  Place. — "  Far  in  the  lane  a 
lonely  house  he  found." — Who  was  Davis? — Description  of  the 
place. — A  wild  spot  for  a  home. — Willard  at  work. — Adventure 
with  an  ox-team. — The  road,  the  bridge  and  the  stream. — "As  an 
ox  thirsteth  for  the  water." — Dashed  from  a  precipice  ! — Wil- 
lard as  a  horse-tamer. — "Chestnut  Bess,"  the  blooded  mare. — 
The  start  for  home. — ''  Bess  "  on  the  rampage. — A  lightning  dash. 
— The  stooping  arch. — Bruised  and  unconscious  .  .  75 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAPPER  OF  THE  OSWEGATCHIE. 

A  plan  of  life. — Determination  to  procure  an  education. — A  sub- 


CONTENTS.  zi 

Btitute  at  the  plow. — His  father  acquiesces  in  his  determination 
to  become  a  trapper. — Life  in  the  wild  woods  along  the  Oswegat- 
chie. — The  six  "  dead  falls." — First  success. — A  fallacious  calcu- 
lation.— The  goal  attained. — Seventy-five  dollars  in  hard  cash  ! — 
Four  terms  of  academic  life. — The  youthful  rivals. — Lessons  in 
elocution. — A  fight  with  hair-brushes  and  chairs  ! — <(  The  walk- 
ing ghost  of  a  kitchen  fire." — Renewed  friendship. — Teaching 
to  obtain  means  for  an  education 87 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE  SOLDIER  SCHOOL-MASTER. 

From  boy  to  man. — The  Lyceum  debate. — Willard  speaks  for  the 
slave.  —  Entrance  to  the  State  Normal  School.  —  Reverses. 
— Fighting  the  world  again.  —  Assistance  from  fair  hands. 
— Willard  meets  Allen  Barringer. — John  Brown,  and  what 
Willard  thought  of  him. — Principles  above  bribe. — Exami- 
nation.— A  sleepless  night. — Haunted  by  the  "ghost  of  possi- 
ble defeat."  —  "  Here  is  your  certificate."  —  The  school  at 
Schodack  Centre.  —  At  the  "Normal"  again.  —  The  Ed- 
wards School. — Thirty  pupils  at  two  dollars  each. — The  "sol- 
dier school-master." — Teachers  at  East  Schodack. — The  runa- 
way ride. — Good-by,  mittens,  robes  and  whip! — Close  of  school 
at  East  Schodack 102 

CHAPTER  XI. 

INTRODUCTION   TO   MILITARY   LIFE. 

The  mutterings  of  war. — Enlistment. — At  Camp  Howe. — First 
experience  as  a  soldier. — "One  step  to  the  front!" — Beyond 
Washington. — On  guard. —  Promotion. — Recruiting  service. — 
The  deserted  home  on  Arlington  Heights. — "  How  shall  I  be- 
have in  the  coming  battle?" — The  brave  Bayard. — On  the 
march.  —  The  stratagem  at  Falmouth  Heights. — A  brilliant 
charge. — After  the  battle 118 

CHAPTER  XII. 

FIRST   BATTLE  OF  BRANDY  STATION. 

The  sentinel's  lonely  round. — General  Pope  in  command  of  the 
army. — Is  gunboat  service  effective  ? — First  cavalry  battle  of 
Brandy  Station. — Under  a  rain  of  bullets. — Flipper's  orchard. — 
"Bring  on  the  brigade,  boys!" — Capture  of  Confederate  prison- 
ers.— Story  of  a  revolver.— Cedar  Mountain. — Burial  of  the  dead 
rebel. — Retreat  from  the  Rapidan.— The  riderless  horse. — Death 
of  Captain  Walters 128 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

MANASSAS  AND  FREDERICKSBURG. 
Manassas. — The  flying  troops. — The  unknown  hero. — Desperate  at- 


xii  CONTENTS. 

tempt  to  stop  the  retreat. — Recruiting  the  decimated  ranks. — 
Fredericksburg. — Bravery  of  Meagher's  brigade. — The  impreg- 
nable heights. — The  cost  of  battles. — Death  of  Bayard. — Outline 
of  his  life 135 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

UNWRITTEN   HISTORY. 

"What  boots  a  weapon  in  a  withered  hand?" — A  thunderbolt 
wasted. — War  upon  hen-roosts. — A  bit  of  unpublished  history.— 
A  fierce  tight  with  Hampton's  cavalry. — In  one  red  burial 
blent. — From  camp  to  home. — Troubles  never  come  singly. — The 
combat. —  The  capture. — A  superfluity  of  Confederate  politeness. 
— Lights  and  shadows 144 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  CAPTURE. 

A  situation  to  try  the  stoutest  hearts. — Hail  Columbia  I — Every  man 
a  hero. — Kilpatrick's  ingenuity. — A  pen-picture  from  "  Soldiers  of 
the  Saddle." — Glazier  thanked  by  his  general. — Cessation  of  hos- 
tilities.— A  black  day. — Fitzhugh  Lee  proposes  1o  crush  Kil- 
patrick. — Kil's  audacity. — Capture  of  Lieutenant  Glazier. — Petty 
tyranny. — "  Here,  Yank,  hand  me  that  thar  hat,  and  overcoat, 
and  boots " 155 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

LIBBY    PK1SON. 

"All  ye  who  enter  here  abandon  hope." — Auld  lang  syne. — Major 
Turner. — Hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick. — Stoicism. — 
Glazier  enters  the  prison-hospital — A  charnel-house. — Rebel 
surgeons. — Prison  correspondence. — Specimen  of  a  regulation 
letter. — The  tailor's  joke. — A  Roland  for  an  Oliver. — News  of 
death. — Schemes  for  escape. — The  freemasonry  of  misfortune. — 
Plot  and  counter-plot. — The  pursuit  of  pleasure  under  diffi- 
culties   lb'6 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

PRISON  LIFE. 

Mournful  news. — How  a  brave  man  dies. — New  Year's  day. — 
Jolly  under  unfavorable  circumstances. — Major  Turner  pays  his 
respects. — Punishment  for  singing  "  villainous  Yankee  songs." — 
Confederate  General  John  Morgan. — Plans  for  escape. — Digging 
their  way  to  freedom. — "Post  No.  1,  All's  well." — Yankee 
ingenuity. — The  tunnel  ready. — Muscle  the  trump  card. — No 
respect  to  rank. — Sauve  qui  peui! — A  strategic  movement. — 
"  Guards  I  guards  I  " — Absentees  from  muster. —  Disappointed 
hopes.  —  Savage  treatment  of  prisoners.  —  Was  the  prison 
mined? 179 


CONTENTS.  xlil 

CHAPTER  XVIIL 

DANVILLE. — MACON. — SAVANXAII. 

Belle  Boyd,  the  Confederate  spy. — National  characteristics. — Colonel 
Mosby. — Richmond  to  Danville. — Sleeping  spoon-fashion. — Gla- 
zier's "corrective  point"  suffers. — Saltatory  entrance  to  a  rail- 
road car. — Colonel  Joselyn. — Sympathy  of  North  Carolinians. — 
Ingenious  efforts  to  escape. — Augusta. — Macon. — Turner  again  ! — 
"Carelessness  "  with  firearms. — Tunneling. — Religious  revival. — 
Order  from  Confederate  War  Department. — Murder  I— Fourth 
of  July. — Macon  to  Savannah. — Camp  Davidson. — More  tun- 
neling   194 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

UNDER  FIRE  AT  CHARLESTON. 

Under  siege. — Charleston  Jail. — The  Stars  and  Stripes. — Federal 
compliments. — Under  the  guns. — Roper  Hospital. — Yellow  Jack. 
— Sisters  of  Charity. — Rebel  Christianity. — A  Byronic  stanza.— 
Charleston  to  Columbia. — "Camp  Sorghum." — Nemesis.- -Another 
dash  for  liberty. — Murder  of  Lieutenants  Young  and  Parker. — 
Studying  topography. — A  vaticination. — Back  to  reality  .  206 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  ESCAPE   FROM   COLUMBIA. 

Mysterious  voices. — "I  reckon  dey's  Yankees." — "Who  cornea 
there?" — The  Lady  of  the  Manor. — A  weird  spectacle. —The 
struggle  through  the  swamp. — A  reflection  on  Southern  swamps 
in  general. — Tired  nature's  sweet  restorer  .  .  .  221 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

LOYALTY   OF   THE  NEGROES. 

Startled  by  hounds. — An  unpleasant  predicament. — A  Christian 
gentlewoman. — Appeal  to  Mrs.  Colonel  Taylor. — "  She  did  all  she 
could." — A  meal  fit  for  the  gods. — Aunt  Katy. — "  Lor'  bress  ye, 
marsters ! " — Uncle  Zeb's  prayer. — Hoe-cake  and  pinders. — Wood- 
craft versus  astronoiuy. —  Canine  foes. — Characteristics  of  the  slave. 
— Meeting  escaped  prisoners. — Danger. — Retreat  and  conceal- 
ment   228 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

PROGRESS  OF  THE  FUGITIVES. 

Parting  company. — Thirst  and  no  water. — Hoping  for  the  end. — 
The  boy  and  the  chicken. — Conversation  of  ladies  overheard. — Tho 
fugitives  pursued. — The  sleeping  village. — Captain  Bryant. — The 


Tiv  CONTENTS. 

alba  BUS. — Justifiable  murder,  and  a  delicious  meal. — Darkiea 
and  their  prayers. — Man  proposes ;  God  disposes. — An  adventure. 
—A  ruse  de  guerre. — Across  the  Savannah  ...  238 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE   PERILS  OF  AN   ESCAPE. 

Alligators. — A  detachment  of  Southern  chivalry. — A  scare.— Re- 
pairs  neatly  executed. — Misery  and  despair. — Virtue  its  own 
reward. — Hunger  and  desperation. — Audacity. — A  Confederate 
officer. — "A  good  Union  man." — "Two  sights  and  a  jambye." — A 
narrow  escape  . 249 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

RECAPTURED   BY  A  CONFEDERATE  OUTPOST. 

Fugitive  slaves. — A  rebel  planter. — The  big  Ebenezer. — A  sound  of 
oars. — A  ruse  de  guerre. — Burial  of  a  dead  soldier. — A  free  ride. — 
Groping  in  the  dark. — "  Who  goes  there ! '' — Recaptured. — Nil 
desperandum. — James  Brooks. — Contraband  of  war. — Confederate 
murders. — In  the  saddle  again. — A  dash  for  freedom. — Again 
captured. — Tried  as  a  spy 261 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

FINAL  ESCAPE  FROM   CAPTIVITY. 

In  jail. — White  trash. — Yankees. — Off  to  Waynesboro. — No  rations. 
— Calling  the  roll. — Sylvania. — Plan  for  escape. — Lieutenant  John 
W.  Wright. — A  desperate  project. — Escaped  ! — Giving  chase. — 
The  pursuers  baffled — Old  Richard. — "  Pooty  hard  case,  massa." 
— Rebel  deserters. — The  sound  of  cannon. — Personating  a  rebel 
officer. — Mrs.  Keyton. — Renewed  hope. — A  Confederate  outpost. 
— Bloodhounds. — Uncle  Philip. — March  Dasher. — Suspicion  dis- 
armed.— "  Now  I'ze  ready,  gemmen." — Stars  and  stripes. — Glo- 
rious freedom. — Home 274 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

GLAZIER   RE-ENTERS  THE  SERVICE. 

Glazier's  determination  to  re-enter  the  army. — Letter  to  Colonel 
Harhaus. — Testimonial  from  Colonel  Clarence  Buel. — Letter  from 
Hon.  Martin  I.  Townsend  to  governor  of  New  York. — Letter 
from  General  Davies. — Letter  from  General  Kilpatrick. — Ap- 
plication for  new  commission  successful. — Home. — The  mother 
fails  to  recognize  her  son. — Supposed  to  be  dead. — Recognized  by 
his  sister  Marjorie. — Filial  and  fraternal  love. — Reports  himself 
to  his  commanding  officer  for  duty. — Close  of  the  war  and  of 
Glazier's  military  career. — Seeks  a  new  object  in  life. — An  idea 
occurs  to  him. — Becomes  an  author,  and  finds  a  publisher  293 


CONTENTS.  xv 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

CAREER   AS  AN   AUTHOR. 

Glazier  in  search  of  a  publisher  for  "  Capture,  Prison-Pen  and  Es- 
cape."— Spends  his  last  dollar. — Lieutenant  Richardson  a  friend 
in  need. — Joel  Munsell,  of  Albany,  consents  to  publish. — The 
author  solicits  subscriptions  for  his  work  before  publication. — 
Succeeds. — Captain  Hampton. — R.  H.  Ferguson. — Captain  F.  C. 
Lord. — Publication  and  sale  of  first  edition. — Great  success. — 
Pays  his  publisher  in  full. — Still  greater  successes. — Finally 
attains  an  enormous  sale. — Style  of  the  work. — Extracts. — 
Opinions  of  the  press 304 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

"  THREE  YEARS  IN  THE   FEDERAL  CAVALRY." 

Another  work  by  Captain  Glazier. — "  Three  Years  in  the  Federal 
Cavalry." — Daring  deeds  of  the  Light  Dragoons. — Extracts  from 
the  work. — Night  attack  on  Falrnouth  Heights. — Kilpatrick's 
stratagem. — Flight  of  the  enemy. — Capture  of  Falmouth. — Burial 
of  Lieutenant  Decker. — Incidents  at "  Brandy  Station." — "  Harris 
Light  "  and  "  Tenth  New  York." — "  Men  of  Maine,  you  must 
save  the  day!" — Position  won. — Some  press  reviews  of  the 
work  .  .  313 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"  BATTLES  FOR  THE   UNION." 

"Battles  for  the  Union." — Extracts. — Bull  Run. — Brandy  Station. 
— Manassas. — Gettysburg. — Pittsburg  Landing. — Surrender  of 
General  Lee. — Opinions  of  the  press. — Philadelphia  "  North 
American." — Pittsburg  " Commercial." — Chicago  "Inter-Ocean." 
—  Scranton  "Republican."  —  Wilkes-Barre  "Record  of  the 
Times." — Reading  "  Eagle." — Albany  "Evening  Journal  "  322 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

"HEROES  OF  THREE  WARS." 

Literary  zeal. — "Heroes  of  Three  Wars." — Extract  from  preface. — 
Sale  of  the  work. — Extracts:  Washington. — Winfield  Scott. — 
Zachary  Taylor.  —  Grant.  —  Sheridan.  —  Kilpatrick.  —  Press 
reviews,  a  few  out  of  many  :  Boston  ''  Transcript." — Chicago 
"  Inter-Ocean."— Baltimore  "  Sun."—  Philadelphia  "  Times."- 
Cincinnati  "  Enquirer." — Worcester  "  Spy." — Pittsburg  "  Ga- 
zette " 341 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

OCEAN  TO   OCEAN   ON  HORSEBACK. 

From  Boston  to  San  Francisco. — An  unparalleled  ride. — Object  of 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

the  journey. — Novel  lecture  tour.— Captain  Frank  M.  Clark.- 
"  Echoes  from  the  Revolution." — Lecture  at  Tremont  Temple. — 
Captain  Theodore  L.  Kelly. — A  success. — Proceeds  of  lecture. — 
Edward   F.   Rollins. — Extracts    from   first    lecture. — Press  no- 
tices           364 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

BOSTON  TO  CHICAGO.     . 

In  the  saddle. — Bunker  Hill. — Arrives  in  Albany. — Reminiscences. 
— The  Soldiers'  Home.— Contributions  for  erecting  Soldiers' 
Home. — Reception  at  Rochester. — Buffalo. — Dunkirk. — Swan- 
ville. — Cleveland. — Massacre  of  General  Custer. — Monroe. — 
Lectures  for  Custer  Monument. — Father  of  General  Custer. — 
Detroit. — Kalamazoo. — An  adventure. — Gives  "Paul  Revere" 
a  rest. — Decatur. — Niks. — Michigan  City. — Chicago  .  376 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

CHICAGO  TO  OMAHA. 

Returns  to  Michigan  City. — Joliet. — Thomas  Babcock. — Herbert 
Glazier. — Ottawa. — La  Salle. — Colonel  Stevens. — Press  Notice. — 
Taken  for  a  highwayman. — Milan. — Davenport. — Press  Notice. 
— Iowa  City. — Des  Moines. — Press  Notice. — Attacked  by  prairie 
wolves. — Council  Bluffs. — Omaha 401 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

CAPTAIN  GLAZIER  CAPTURED   BY   INDIANS. 

Captain  Glazier  as  a  horseman. — Cheyenne. — Two  herders. — Cap- 
tured by  Indians. — Torture  and  death  of  a  herder. — Escape. — 
Ogden. — Letter  to  Major  Hessler. — Kelton. — Terrace. — Wells. — 
Halleck. — Elko. — Palisade. — Argenta. — Battle  Mountain. — Gol- 
conda. — Humboldt. — "  The  majesty  of  the  law." — Lovelock's. — 
White  Plains. — Desert. — Waclsworth. — Truckee. — Summit — Sac- 
ramento.— Brighton. — Stockton. — SAN  FRANCISCO  .  .  410 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

RETURN   FROM   CALIFORNIA. 

Returns  to  the  East  by  the  "  Iron  Horse." — Boston  Transcript  on 
the  journey  on  horseback. — Resumes  literary  work. — "Peculiari- 
ties of  American  Cities." — Preface  to  book. — A  domestic  incident. 
— A  worthy  son. — Claims  of  parents. — Purchases  the  Old  Home- 
stead, and  presents  it  to  his  father  and  mother. — Letter  to  his 
parents.— The  end 431 


CONTENTS.  xvii 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE  MISSISSIPPI   RIVER. 

An  interval  of  literary  work. — Conception  of  another  expedition.— 
Reflections  upon  the  Old  Explorers. — Indian  rumors. — Deter- 
mined to  find  the  true  source  of  the  Great  River. — Starting  on 
the  eventful  journey. — Joined  by  his  brother  George  and  Barrett 
Channing  Paine. — Collecting  materials  for  the  expedition. — 
Brainerd  the  first  point  of  departure. — Through  the  Chippewa 
country. — Seventy  miles  of  government  road. — Curiosity  it»own 
reward. — Arrival  at  Leech  Lake 437 

CHAPTER  XXXV1L 

HOME  OF  THE   CHIPPEWA8. 

An  embryonic  red  man. — A  primitive  hotel. — An  unkempt  inhab- 
itant of  the  forest. — Leech  Lake. — Major  Ruffe's  arrival. — White 
Cloud. — Paul  Beaulieu  and  his  theory  about  the  source  of  the 
Mississippi. — Che-no- wa-ge-sic. — Studying  Indian  manners  and 
customs. — Dining  with  Indian  royalty. — Chippewa  hospitality. — 
How  the  wife  of  an  Indian  Chief  entertains. — Souvenir  of  Flat 
Mouth. — Return  of  Che-no-wa-ge-sic. — A  council  held. — An  In- 
dian speech. — "  No  White  Man  has  yet  seen  the  head  of  the 
Father  of  Waters." — Voyage  of  exploration. — Launching  the 
canoes .  444 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

EXPLORATION   AND   DISCOVERY. 

Launching  the  canoes. — Flat  Mouth  and  White  Cloud  again. — An 
inspiring  scene. — Farewell  to  Leech  Lake. — Up  the  Kabekanka 
River.  —  Dinner  at  Lake  Benedict.  —  Difficult  navigation. — A 
peaceful  haven. — Supper  and  contentment. — Lake  Garfield.— 
Preparations  for  first  portage. — Utter  exhaustion. — Encampment 
for  the  night. — The  cavalry  column. — Lake  George  and  Lake 
Paine. — The  Naiwa  River. — Six  miles  from  Itasca. — Camping  on 
the  Mississippi  watershed. — A  startling  discovery. — Rations  giv- 
ing out. — Ammunition  gone. — Arrival  at  Lake  Itasca  .  454 
2 


xviii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

DISCOVERY   OF   THE  SOURCE   OF   THE   MISSISSIPPI. 

Short  rations. — Empty  haversacks  and  depleted  cartridge-boxes. — 
Statement  of  Chenowagesic. — Captain  Glazier's  diary. — Vivid 
description. — Coasting  Itasca. — Chenowagesic  puzzled. — The  bar- 
rier overcome. — Victory  !  the  Infant  Mississippi. — Enthusiastic 
desire  to  see  the  source. — The  goal  reached. — A  beautiful  lake. 
— The  fountain  head. — An  American  the  first  white  man  to 
Bta'nd  by  its  side. — Schoolcraft. — How  he  came  to  miss  the  lake. 
— Appropriate  ceremonies. — Captain  Glazier's  speech. — Naming 
the  lake. — Chenowagesic. — Military  honors. — "Three  cheers  for 
the  explorer  " 465 

CHAPTER  XL. 

DOWN   THE  GREAT   RIVER. 

Voyage  from  Source  to  Sea. — Three  thousand  miles  in  an  open 
canoe. — "Pioneers  of  the  Mississippi." — A  thrilling  lecture. — The 
long  voyage  begun. — Mosquitoes. — Hunger  and  exhaustion. — 
The  Captain  kills  an  otter. — Lakes  Bemidji  and  Winnibegoshish. 
— An  Indian  missionary. — Wind-bound. — Chenowagesic  bids 
farewell  to  the  Captain. — Pokegama  Falls. — Grand  Rapids. — 
Meeting  the  first  steamboat. — Aitkin. — Great  enthusiasm. — The 
new  canoes. — Leaving  Aitkin. — Arrival  at  Little  Falls. — Escorted 
in  triumph  to  the  town. — "Captain  Glazier!  A  speech!  A 
speech  !  " — Lake  Pepin. — An  appalling  storm. — St.  Louis. — 
Southern  hospitality. — New  Orleans. — Arrival  at  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico. — End  of  voyage 476 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

RECEPTION  BY  THE  NEW  ORLEANS  ACADEMY   OF  SCIENCES. 

Captain  Glazier  returns  to  New  Orleans. — A  general  ovation. — Flat- 
tering opinions  of  the  press. — Introduction  to  the  Mayor. — Free- 
dom of  the  City  tendered. — Special  meeting  of  the  New  Or- 
leans Academy  of  Sciences. — Presentation  of  the  "Alice"  to 
the  Academy. — Captain  Glazier's  address. — The  President's  Re- 
sponse.— Resolutions  of  thanks  and  appreciation  passed. — Visit 
to  the  Arsenal  of  the  Washington  Artillery. — Welcome  by  the 
Old  Guard  of  the  Louisiana  Tigerg^Pleasaht  memories  of  the 
*•  Crescent  City " 490 


CONTENTS.  xix 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

BEFORE  THE  MISSOURI   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 

Return  to  St.  Louis. — Lecture  at  Mercantile  Library  Hall. — Bril- 
liant audience. — The  Missouri  Historical  Society  present. — 
Eloquent  introduction  by  Judge  Todd. — "  Pioneers  of  the  Missis- 
sippi." — Presentation  of  the  "  Itasca  "  to  the  Historical  Society. — 
Remarks  of  Captain  Silas  Bent  on  accepting  the  canoe. — Con- 
gratulations of  the  audience. — Closing  scene  .  .  .  496 

CHAPTER  XL-Ill. 

GREETINGS   OF   THE   VOYAGE. 

An  interesting  souvenir. — Greeting  at  Lake  Glazier. — Petition  to 
Geographical  Societies. — Voice  from  Aitkin,  Gate  City  of  the  Up- 
per Mississippi. — Tributes  from  Brainerd. — Mississippi  Pyramid. 
— An  old  friend  at  La  Crosse. — Greetings  at  St.  Louis. — Senator 
Lamar. — Royal  welcome  at  Bayou  Tunica. — Sentiment  of  Port 
Eads. — Congratulations  of  the  officers  of  the  "  Margaret." — 
Greetings  from  New  Orleans. — "Fame's  triple  wreath." — Closing 
remarks 502 


SWORD  AND   PEN. 

CHAPTER    I. 

OBIGIN   OF  THE  GLAZIER  FAMILY. 

Lineage  of  Willard  Glazier. — A  good  stock. — Oliver  Glazier  at 
the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill. — The  home  of  honest  industry. — 
The  Coronet  of  Pembroke.  —  The  "  Homestead  Farm." — Mehi- 
table  Bolton.  —  Her  New  England  home. — Her  marriage  to 
Ward  Glazier.— The  wild  "North  Woods."— The  mother  of  the 
soldier-author. 

"YTTILLARD  GLAZIER  comes  of  the  mixed 
W  blood  of  Saxon  and  of  Celt.  We  first  hear 
of  his  ancestors  upon  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  at  that 
period  of  our  nation's  history  which  intervened  be- 
tween the  speck  of  war  at  Lexington  and  the  cloud 
of  war  at  Bunker  Hill. 

Massachusetts  and  the  town  of  Boston  had  become 
marked  objects  of  the  displeasure  of  the  British  Parlia- 
ment. Later,  in  1775,  Ethan  Allen  had  startled 
Captain  Delaplace  by  presenting  his  lank  figure  at  the 
captain's  bedside  and  demanding  the  surrender  of 
Ticonderoga  in  the  name  of  the  "Great  Jehovah  and 
the  Continental  Congress."  In  the  language  of  Daniel 
Webster,  "A  spirit  pervaded  all  ranks,  not  transient, 
not  boisterous,  but  deep,  solemn,  determined." 

War  on  their  own  soil  and  at  their  own  doors  was 

indeed  a  strange  work  to  the  yeomanry  of  New  Eng- 

(21) 


22  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

land ;  but  their  consciences  were  convinced  of  its  neces- 
sity, and  when  their  country  called  them  to  her  defense 
they  did  not  withhold  themselves  from  the  perilous 
responsibility. 

The  statement  of  Quincy  seemed  to  pervade  all 
hearts.  Said  that  distinguished  son  of  genius  and 
patriotism,  "  Blandishments  will  not  fascinate  us,  nor 
will  threats  of  a  halter  intimidate;  for,  under  God,  we 
are  determined  that  wheresoever,  whensoever,  and 
howsoever  we  shall  be  called  to  make  our  exit,  we 
will  die  free  men." 

At  such  a  time,  and  among  such  men,  we  find  en- 
rolled in  the  ranks  of  the  patriot  army  Oliver  Glazier, 
the  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  the  present 
work. 

Oliver's  father  was  John  Glazier,  a  Massachusetts 
Lancastrian,  born  in  1739.  John  Glazier  was  the  son 
of  William  Glazier,  born  about  the  year  1700,  his 
ancestry  being  respectively  of  English  and  of  Scotch 
extraction.  Oliver  himself,  however,  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Lancaster,  in  the  province  or  colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts, May  twenty-third,  1763. 

Hence  the  blood  of  Norman,  of  Saxon  and  of  Celt, 
that  had  forgotten  the  animosities  of  race  and  mingled 
quietly  in  the  veins  of  his  ancestors,  had  become  purely 
American  in  Oliver,  and  though  but  little  over  four- 
teen years  of  age,  we  find  him  doing  yeoman  service 
upon  the  ramparts  of  Bunker  Hill. 

That  he  performed  well  his  part  in  the  struggle  for 
liberty,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  he  appears  upon 
the  rolls  as  a  pensioner,  from  the  close  of  that  mem- 
orable ccntest  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

Mr.  Frank  Renehan,  in  a  sketch  contributed  by  him 


OLIVER   GLAZIER.  23 

to  au  elaborate  work  which  was  published  by  the  New 
York  and  Hartford  Publishing  Company  in  1871, 
comments  as  follows  upon  the  coincidence  of  Oliver 
Glazier  in  1775  and  Willard  Glazier  in  1861— both 
being  at  the  time  of  entering  service  comparatively 
boys  in  age,  enlisting  for  the  defense  of  their  country: 
"  The  former,  though  then  but  fourteen  years  of  age, 
participated  with  the  patriots  in  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill,  and  to  the  last  contributed  his  young  enthusiasm 
and  willing  services  to  the  cause  he  had  espoused ; 
thus  giving  early  testimony  of  his  devotion  to  the 
land  of  his  adoption  and  of  fealty  to  the  principles  of 
popular  government  involved  in  the  struggle  for 
American  independence.  So  remarkable  an  instance 
of  ancestral  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  civil  liberty 
could  not  but  exercise  a  marked  influence  upon  those 
of  the  same  blood  to  whom  the  tradition  was  handed 
down,  and  here  we  find  our  subject,  a  scion  of  the  third 
generation,  assisting  in  1861  on  the  battlefields  of  the 
South,  in  maintenance  of  the  liberty  his  progenitor  had 
contributed  to  achieve  in  1775  on  the  battlefields  of  the 
North  !  This  is  not  mentioned  as  a  singular  fact — his- 
tory is  replete  with  just  such  coincidences.— but  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  suggesting  the  moral  that  in  matters 
of  patriotism  the  son  is  only  consistent  when  he  imitates 
the  example  and  emulates  the  virtues  of  his  sires." 

In  this  eloquent  passage  occurs  an  error  of  fact. 
Oliver  Glazier  while  in  the  patriot  army  was  not  fight- 
ing for  the  "  land  of  his  adoption."  As  we  have  seen, 
he  was  native  here  and  "  to  the  manor  born."  In- 
deed, in  the  light  of  historic  proof  and  with  the  ex- 
ample of  men  descended  from  Washington  and  Light 
Horse  Harry  Lee  before  us,  we  are  rather  inclined  to 


24  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

admire  the  paragraph  as  a  fine  specimen  of  rhetorical 
composition  than  to  admit  its  accuracy  as  a  deduction 
in  philosophy. 

Subsequent  to  his  term  of  military  service — an  ex- 
perience through  which  he  had  safely  passed — Oliver 
Glazier  became  a  resident  of  West  Boylston,  Massa- 
chusetts, where  he  married  a  Miss  Hastings. 

The  name  of  Glazier,  Lower  tells  us,  is  purely  Eng- 
lish, and  is  derived  from  the  title  given  to  the  trade. 
However  that  may  be,  those  who  have  borne  it  have 
always  expressed  a  pride  in  having  sprung  from  the 
great  mass — the  people — and  have  held  with  the  phil* 
osopher  of  Sunnyside,  that  whether  "  hereditary  rank 
be  an  illusion  or  not,  hereditary  virtue  gives  a  patent 
of  nobility  beyond  all  the  blazonry  of  the  herald's  col- 
lege." The  name  of  Hastings  takes  its  rise  from 
a  nobler  source;  for  Mrs.  Oliver  Glazier  brought 
into  the  family  as  blue  blood  as  any  in  all  England. 
The  great  family  which  bears  that  name  in  Great 
Britain  can  show  quarterings  of  an  earlier  date  than 
the  battle  which  gave  a  kingdom  to  William  of  Nor- 
mandy. Macaulay  says  that  one  branch  of  their  line, 
in  the  fourteenth  century,  "  wore  the  coronet  of  Pem- 
broke ;  that  from  another  sprang  the  renowned  Lord 
Chamberlain,  the  faithful  adherent  of  the  White  Rose, 
whose  fate  has  furnished  so  striking  a  theme  both  to 
the  poet  and  historian,"  and  while  it  is  probable  that 
this  wife  of  an  American  patriot  was  many  degrees  re- 
moved from  the  powerful  leaders  whose  name  she  bore, 
the  same  blood  undoubtedly  flowed  in  her  veins  that 
coursed  through  theirs. 

Oliver,  during  the  many  years  of  a  happy  married 
life  which  terminated  in  his  death  at  the  ripe  age  of 


HERITABLE  BOLTON.  25 

ninety-seven,  became  the  father  of  eight  children.  His 
son  Jabez  left  Boylston  at  an  early  age,  and  after  con- 
siderable "prospecting"  finally  married  a  Miss  Sarah 
Tucker  and  settled  in  the  township  of  Fowler,  St. 
Lawrence  County,  New  York.  Out  of  their  union 
sprang  three  sons,  George,  Ward,  and  Henry,  and  four 
daughters,  Elvira,  Martha,  Caroline  and  Lydia.  Dur- 
ing a  visit  he  made  to  his  "down  East"  relations, 
Ward  married  a  young  lady  by  the  name  of  Mehitable 
Bolton,  of  West  Boylston,  Massachusetts. 

This  young  lady  was  a  true  representative  of  the 
New  England  woman,  who  believes  that  work  is  the 
handmaid  of  religion.  She  entered  a  cotton  factory  at 
Worcester  when  only  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  worked 
perseveringly  through  long  years  of  labor,  often  walk- 
ing from  her  home  in  West  Boylston  to  the  factory 
at  Worcester,  a  distance  of  seven  miles.  At  the  time 
of  her  marriage — which  occurred  when  she  was  twenty- 
five — she  had  accumulated  the  snug  little  sum  of  five 
hundred  dollars,  besides  possessing  a  handsome  ward- 
robe, all  of  which  was  the  fruit  of  her  own  untiring 
industry. 

If  it  be  true  that  the  mothers  of  men  of  mark  are 
always  women  of  strong  and  noble  characters,  then  we 
are  not  surprised  to  find  in  the  mother  of  Willard 
Glazier  those  sterling  qualities  which  made  her  young 
life  successful. 

The  early  married  life  of  Ward  Glazier  was  passed 
upon  the  farm  first  cleared  and  cultivated  by  his  father, 
and  which  has  since  become  known  to  the  neighbor- 
hood as  the  "Old  Glazier  Homestead."  This  farm 
is  situated  in  the  township  of  Fowler,  midway 
between  the  small  villages  of  Little  York  and  Fullers- 
ville. 


26  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

The  township  is  a  tract  of  rugged  land,  containing 
only  the  little  village  of  Hailesborough,  besides  those 
already  named.  Along  its  borders  rushes  and  tum- 
bles a  turbulent  stream  which  still  retains  its  -orig- 
inal Indian  appellation — the  Oswegatchie;  a  name  no 
doubt  conveying  to  the  ear  of  its  aboriginal  sponsors 
some  poetical  conceit,  just  as  another  stream  in  far  off 
Virginia  is  named  the  Shenandoah,  or  "  Daughter  of 
the  Stars." 

Those  who  are  at  all  familiar  with  the  scenery  that 
prevails  in  what  in  other  sections  of  the  country  are 
called  the  great  North  Woods,  and  in  their  own  neigh- 
borhood the  great  South  Woods,  can  readily  imagine 
what  were  the  geological  and  scenic  peculiarities  of 
Fowler  township.  Bare,  sterile,  famished-looking,  as 
far  as  horticultural  and  herbaceous  crops  are  concerned, 
yet  rich  in  pasture  and  abounding  in  herds — with  vast 
rocks  crested  and  plumed  with  rich  growths  of  black 
balsam,  maple,  and  spruce  timber,  and  with  huge 
boulders  scattered  carelessly  over  its  surface  and  mar- 
gining its  streams,  St.  Lawrence  County  presents  to- 
day features  of  savage  grandeur  as  wild  and  imposing 
as  it  did  ere  the  foot  of  a  trapper  had  profaned  its 
primeval  forests. 

Yet  its  farms  and  its  dwellings  are  numerous,  its 
villages  and  towns  possess  all  the  accompaniments  of 
modern  civilization,  the  spires  of  its  churches  indicate 
that  the  gentle  influences  of  religion  are  not  forgotten, 
and  there,  as  elsewhere,  the  indomitable  will  of  man 
has  won  from  the  wilderness  a  living  aud  a  home. 


CHAPTER   II. 

BIRTH    AND   CHILDHOOD   OF   WILLARD   GLAZIER. 

The  infant  stranger. — A  mother's  prayers. — "Be  just  before  you 
are  generous." — Careful  training. — Willard  Glazier's  first  bat- 
tle.— A  narrow  escape. — Facing  the  foe. — The  happy  days  of 
childhood.  — "  The  boy  is  father  to  the  man." 

THE  Glazier  Homestead,  as  we  have  said,  is  upon 
the  main  road  leading  from  Little  York  to  Ful- 
lersville.  It  is  a  substantial  and  comfortable  farm- 
house, with  no  pretension  to  architectural  beauty,  but, 
nevertheless,  is  a  sightly  object  in  a  pleasant  land- 
scape. Standing  back  two  hundred  feet  from  the 
road,  in  a  grove  of  gigantic  elms,  with  a  limpid  brook 
of  spring  water  a  short  distance  to  the  right,  and  rich 
fields  of  herd  grass  stretching  off  rearwards  towards 
the  waters  of  the  Oswegatchie,  which  hurry  along  on 
their  journey  of  forty  miles  to  the  St.  Lawrence  River, 
the  old  house  is  sure  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
traveller,  and  to  be  long  remembered  as  a  picture  of 
solid  and  substantial  comfort. 

In  this  old  house,  upon  the  morning  of  August 
twenty -second,  1841,  to  Ward  Glazier  and  Mehitable, 
his  wife,  a  son  was  born  who  was  subsequently  named 
Willard.  The  father  and  mother  were  by  no  means 
sentimental  people — they  were  certainly  not  given  to 
seeing  the  poetical  side  of  life ;  they  were  plain, 
earnest  people,  rough  hewn  out  of  the  coarse  fibre 
of  Puritanism,  but  the  advent  of  this  little  child 


28  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

brought  a  joy  to  their  hearts  that  had  its  softening 
influence  upon  the  home  in  which  he  was  to  be 
reared. 

The  thoroughness  of  Ward  Glazier's  nature,  that 
conscientiousness  in  excess  which  made  him  radical  in 
all  things,  was  of  the  heart  as  well  as  of  the  head,  and 
though  not  a  demonstrative  man,  the  intensity  of  his 
paternal  love  cropped  out  in  many  ways.  As  to  his 
wife,  hers  was  truly  "  mother's  love."  And  what 
notes  are  there  attuned  to  sacred  music,  in  all  the 
broad  vocabulary  of  the  English  tongue,  which  gives 
any  idea  of  the  sentiment  that  links  a  woman  to  her 
babe,  except  the  three  simple  syllables,  "mother's 
love ! "  Brooding  over  the  tiny  stranger,  ready  to 
laugh  or  cry  ;  exultant  with  hope  and  pride,  despondent 
with  fear,  quivering  with  anguish  if  the  "  wind  of 
heaven  doth  visit  its  cheek  too  roughly,"  and  singing 
hosannas  of  joy  when  it  lisps  the  simpler  syllables  that 
she  so  patiently  has  taught,  covering  it  with  the  broad 
wing  of  her  measureless  affection,  and  lavishing  upon 
it  such  "  sighs  as  perfect  joy  perplexed  for  utterance, 
steals  from  her  sister  sorrow,"  there  is  nothing  except 
God's  own  illimitable  affection  for  his  creatures,  that 
can  rival  in  depth  and  strength  and  comprehensiveness, 
a  mother's  love. 

The  heart  of  Ward  Glazier's  wife,  at  this  time,  blos- 
somed in  absolutely  rank  luxuriance  with  this  feeling, 
and  ran  riot  in  the  joy  of  its  possession  ;  but  she  deter- 
mined within  herself  that  it  should  be  no  blind  or 
foolish  worship.  It  grew,  therefore,  into  a  sober, 
sareful,  provident  affection. 

Quiet  and  unobtrusive  in  manner,  her  face  always 
wore  a  look  of  gravity  befitting  one  who  felt  that  God 


EARLY  TEACHINGS.  29 

had  entrusted  to  her  charge  a  fresh  human  soul  to 
mould  for  good  or  evil.  She  fully  realized  the  fact 
that  her  son  would  grow  up  with  honor  or  sink  down 
into  ignominy  just  as  she  should  guide  or  spoil  him 
in  his  youth.  She  quite  comprehended  the  stub- 
born truth,  that  while  the  father  to  some  extent  may 
shape  the  outward  career  of  his  son,  the  mother  is  re- 
sponsible for  the  coloring  of  his  inner  life:  and  that 

"All  we  learn  of  good  is  learned  in  youth, 
When  passion's  heat  is  pure,  when  love  is  truth." 

Though  of  Puritan  stock,  though  reared  in  the  aus- 
tere faith  of  John  Knox,  there  was  nothing  hard  or 
harsh  in  this  mother's  character,  and  still  less  was 
there  anything  of  the  materialist  about  her.  She 
would  have  utterly  scouted  the  doctrine  of  Cabanis 
and  his  school,  which  held  that  the  physical  was  the 
whole  structure  of  man  ;  that  all  instincts,  passions, 
thoughts,emanated  from  the  body ;  that  sensibility  is 
an  effect  of  the  nervous  system,  that  passion  is  an 
emanation  of  the  viscera,  that  intellect  is  nothing  more 
than  a  cerebral  secretion,  and  "self-consciousness  but  a 
general  faculty  of  living  matter."  She  had  drunk  in- 
spiration of  a  different  kind  from  her  infancy.  In  her 
New  England  home  the  very  atmosphere  was  charged 
with  religious  influences.  She  was  taught,  or  rather 
she  had  learned  without  a  teacher,  not  only  to  see  God 
in  the  flowers  and  in  the  stars,  bub  to  recognize  his 
immediate  agency  in  all  things  terrestrial. 

Night  after  night,  listening  to  the  tremulous  tones 
of  her  father  as  he  read  a  lesson  from  the  sacred  page, 
not  only  to  those  of  his  own  blood,  but  to  his  "man- 
servant, his  maid-servant,  and  the  stranger  withiu  his 


30  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

gates,"  she  had  felt  the  presence  of  a  tangible  God,  and 
when,  at  last,  she  followed  the  fortunes  of  the  chosen 
one  of  her  heart  far  into  the  great  North  Woods,  nature 
spoke  to  her  from  the  forest  and  the  cataract,  deepen- 
ing each  early  impression  and  intensifying  each  early 
belief,  until  she  realized  as  a  living  fact  that  the  "  Lord 
was  ever  in  his  holy  temple"  and  that  his  temple  wat> 
the  universe. 

To  a  woman  like  this  every  act  of  life  became  a  mat- 
ter of  conscience,  and  the  training  of  her  child  of  course 
became  such  to  Mrs.  Glazier.  She  had  watched  the 
pitfalls  which  the  "  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil " — 
that  trinity  of  evil — provide  for  the  feet  of  the  unwary, 
and  she  determined  that  young  Willard's  steps,  if  she 
could  prevent  it,  should  never  stray  that  way. 

Her  husband  took  life  and  its  duties  much  more 
easily.  He  was  less  rigid  in  his  sense  of  parental  re- 
sponsibility. While  a  man  of  great  rectitude  of  pur- 
pose, he  was  good-natured  to  a  fault — somewhat  im- 
provident, careless  of  money,  ever  ready  to  extend  aid 
to  the  needy,  and  especially  disinclined  to  the  exercise 
of  harshness  in  his  home,  even  when  the  stern  element 
of  authority  was  needed.  In  short,  he  was  one  of  those 
big-hearted  men  who  are  so  brimful  of  the  "milk  of 
human  kindness  "  that  the  greatest  pain  they  ever  feel 
is  the  pain  they  see  others  suffer.  His  plan  therefore 
was,spare  the  rod  even  if  you  do  spoil  the  child. 

But — perhaps  fortunately  for  young  Willard — Mrs. 
Glazier  held  different  views.  From  his  very  infancy 
she  endeavored  to  instil  into  his  nature  habits  of  truth- 
fulness, industry  and  thrift.  "Never  waste  and  never 
lie  "  was  her  pet  injunction.  Her  aim  was  not  to  make 
her  son  a  generous,  but  a.  just  man.  "One  hour  of  jus- 


MAXIMS.  31 

tice  is  worth  an  eternity  of  prayer,"  says  the  Arabian 
proverb,  but  Mrs.  Glazier,  while  she  exalted  justice  as 
the  greatest  of  the  virtues,  also  believed  that  in  order 
to  make  man's  heart  "its  temple,  prayer  was  an  abso- 
lutely necessary  pre-requisite.  She  likewise  endeavored 
from  the  first  to  habituate  the  boy's  mind  to  reflect 
upon  the  value  of  money  and  the  uses  of  economy. 
She  would  have  "coined  her  blood  for  drachms"  if 
that  would  have  benefited  her  husband  or  her  son. 
Her  savings  were  not  spent  upon  herself,  but  in  the 
hard  school  of  a  bitter  experience  she  had  learned  that 
money  means  much  more  than  dollars  and  cents — 
that  its  possession  involves  the  ability  to  live  a  life  of 
honor,  untempted  by  the  sordid  solicitations  that 
clamor  round  the  poor  man's  door  and  wring  the  poor 
man's  heart. 

The  result  was  that  as  soon  as  he  began  to  compre- 
hend her  words,  young  Willard  had  impressed  upon  his 
memory  maxims  eulogizing  all  who  practise  habits  of 
sobriety,  industry  and  frugality,  and  denunciatory  of 
all  who  fail  to  do  so. 

His  mother  never  wearied  of  teaching  him  such  say- 
ings of  Dr.  Franklin  as  these:  "Time  is  money," 
''Credit  is  money,"  "Money  begets  money,"  "The 
good  paymaster  is  lord  of  another  man's  purse,"  and 
"  The  sound  of  a  man's  hammer  heard  by  his  creditor 
at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  makes  him  easy  six 
months  longer,  while  the  sound  of  his  voice  heard  in  a 
tavern,  induces  him  to  send  for  his  money  the  next 
day ; "  "  Trifling  items  aggregate  into  large  totals," 
while  the  text  that  ruled  the  house  was  that  of  the 
Scripture,  "  If  any  would  not  work  neither  should  he 
eat." 

3 


32  SWORD  AXD  PEN. 

The  effect  of  the  constant  teaching  of  such  lessons 
was  not  however  perceptible  in  the  lad's  habits  in  very 
early  life.  He  was  no  model  little  boy,  no  monster  of 
perfection — he  was  like  the  boys  that  we  see  around  us 
every  day — not  one  of  the  marvels  we  read  about. 
But  the  seed  was  sown  in  his  soul  which  was  destined 
to  quicken  into  fruit  in  after  life. 

At  the  early  age  of  four  years  his  mother  began  to 
teach  him  to  read  and  write,  and  under  her  loving  tui- 
tion he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  these  two  branches  of 
culture  quite  rapidly. 

Just  about  this  time  an  incident  occurred  which 
came  near  finishing  young  Willard's  career  in  a  manner 
as  sudden  as  it  would  have  been  singular. 

The  "  Homestead  Farm  "  was  at  that  time  pretty 
well  stocked  for  a  place  only  containing  one  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  and  among  the  cattle  was  a  sturdy 
Alderney  bull  whose  reputation  for  peace  and  quietness 
was  unusually  good. 

On  a  certain  morning,  however,  early  in  the  spring 
of  the  year  1845,  young  Master  Willard  happened  to 
overhear  a  conversation  between  two  of  the  farm 
hands,  in  the  course  of  which  one  of  them  declared 
that  "old  Blackface  was  tarin'  round  mighty  lively." 
This  statement  interested  the  lad  to  such  an  extent  that 
he  concluded  to  go  and  see  how  this  "  tarin'  round" 
was  done. 

Accordingly,  taking  advantage  of  a  moment  when 
his  mother's  attention  was  occupied,  he  started  for  the 
jjarnyard,  into  which  Mr.  Bull  had  been  turned  only 
£  few  moments  before.  Now  as  young  Willard  was 
)»omewhat  smaller  than  the  visitors  our  bovine  friend 
was  in  the  habit  of  receiving,  such  an  unwarrantable 


GLAZIER'S  FIRST  BATTLE.  ^ 

intrusion  was  not  to  be  tolerated  for  a  moment.  Ac- 
cordingly, no  sooner  had  Willard  set  his  little  feet 
within  the  enclosure  of  the  barn-yard  than  the  bull 
gave  a  roar  of  rage,  and  catching  the  boy  on  the  tips 
of  his  horns,  which  fortunately  were  buttoned,  sent 
him  twenty  feet  up  in  the  air,  preparing  to  trample 
him  out  of  existence  when  he  should  come  down. 
Luckily  some  of  the  men  were  attracted  to  the  scene, 
who  secured  his  bullship  and  rescued  the  child. 
Willard  was  not  seriously  hurt,  and  the  instant  he 
regained  his  feet,  he  turned  round,  shook  his  tiny  fist 
at  the  now  retreating  animal  and  shouted  out  in  a 
shrill  treble,  "  When  I  get  to  be  a  big  man  I'll  toss 
you  in  the  air ! " 

Having  thus  taken  the  bull  by  the  horns  in  a  literal 
as  well  as  figurative  sense,  the  lad  began  gradually  to 
develop  into  that  terrible  embodiment  of  unrest — a 
boy.  He  exhibited  no  very  marked  peculiarities  up 
to  this  time  to  distinguish  him  from  other  youths;  but 
just  grew  into  the  conglomerate  mass  of  good,  bad  and 
indifferent  qualities  which  go  to  make  up  the  ordinary 
flesh-and-blood  boy — brimful  of  mischief  and  impatient 
of  restraint. 


CHAPTER   III. 

EARLY   LIFE  AND   HABITS. 

Scotch-Irish  Presbyterianism  of  twenty-five  years  ago. — The  "  little 
deacon." — First  days  at  school. — Choosing  a  wife. — A  youthful 
gallant. — A  close  scholar  but  a  wild  lad. — A  mother's  influence. 
— Ward  Glazier  a  Grahamite. — Young  Willard's  practical  jokes. 
— Anecdote  of  Crystal  Spring. — "  That  i*  something  like  water." 

IT  must  not  be  supposed  that  young  Willard's  home 
was  gloomy  and  joyless,  because  it  was  presided 
over  by  a  religious  woman.  The  Presbyterians  of 
that  day  and  that  race  were  by  no  means  a  lugubrious 
people.  They  did  not  necessarily  view  their  lives  as  a 
mere  vale  of  tears,  nor  did  they  think  the  "  night  side 
of  nature  "  the  most  sacred  one.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Mor- 
rison, one  of  their  divines,  tells  us  that  "the  thought- 
less, the  grave,  the  old  and  the  young,  alike  enjoyed 
every  species  of  wit,"  and  though  they  were  "  thought- 
ful, serious  men,  yet  they  never  lost  an  occasion  that 
might  promise  sport,"  and  he  very  pertinently  asks, 
"  what  other  race  ever  equaled  them  in  getting  up 
corn-husk  ings,  log-rollings  and  quiltings? — and  what 
hosts  of  queer  stories  are  connected  with  them  ! " 
Fond  of  fun,  there  was  a  grotesque  humor  about  them, 
which  in  its  way  has,  perhaps,  never  been  equaled. 

"  It  was  the  sternness  of  the  Scotch  Covenanter 
softened  by  a  century's  residence  abroad,  amid  perse- 
cution and  trial,  united  to  the  comic  humor  and  pathos 
of  the  Irish,  and  then  grown  wild  in  the  woods  among 
their  own  New  England  mountains." 
(34) 


THE  "LITTLE  DEACON."  35 

Such  was  the  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterianism  of  that 
period. 

Other  cheerful  influences  were  also  at  work  in  the 
two  villages  that  comprised  the  town  of  Fowler. 
The  only  house  of  worship  in  the  town  proper  was  a 
Universalist  church,  and  the  people  were  compelled  for 
the  most  part,  notwithstanding  their  individual  creeds, 
to  worship  in  a  common  temple  where  the  asperities  of 
sectarian  difference  had  no  existence. 

Ward  Glazier,  at  that  time,  was  an  adherent  of 
Universalism,  while  his  wife  held  different  views. 
But  he  was  ever  ready  to  ride  with  his  wife  and  son 
to  the  church  of  her  choice  at  Gouverneur,  a  distance 
of  six  miles,  and  returning,  chat  with  them  pleasantly 
of  the  sermon,  the  crops,  the  markets  and  the  gossip 
of  the  town. 

In  truth,  young  Willard's  early  home  was  a  good 
and  pleasant  one,  and  having  learned,  under  his 
mother's  careful  training,  to  read  exceedingly  well,  for 
a  boy  of  his  age,  by  the  time  he  reached  his  fourth 
year  he  became  noted  for  his  inquiring  disposition,  his 
quiet  manner,  and  a  quaint  habit  of  making  some 
practical  application  of  the  "wise  saws"  with  which 
his  mother  had  stored  his  juvenile  mind. 

The  result  was  that  up  to  this  period  of  his  exist- 
ence he  was  an  old-fashioned  little  fellow,  and  somehow 
had  acquired  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  little  deacon." 

At  about  five  years  of  age,  however,  a  change  took 
place  in  the  boy. 

The  bird  that  flutters  and  twitters  in  the  parent 
nest  is  a  very  different  thing  from  the  emancipated 
fledgeling,  feeling  its  newly  acquired  power  of  flight, 
and  soaring  far  up  and  out  into  the  woods  and  over 


36  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

the  fields;  and  the  boy  whose  experience  of  life  is 
confined  to  the  household  of  his  parents,  is  not  less 
different  from  the  lad  who  has  gone  beyond  it  into 
the  bustle  and  turmoil  of  that  epitomized  world, — a 
public  school. 

Little  Willard,  like  other  youths,  was  thrown  into 
this  new  sphere  of  action  suddenly,  and  without  any 
adequate  idea  of  what  was  there  expected  of  him. 
The  first  day  passed  as  all  first  days  at  school  pass, 
not  in  study,  but  in  looking  on  and  becoming  accus- 
tomed to  the  surroundings,  himself  in  turn  being  the 
subject  of  scrutiny  by  his  school-mates,  as  the  "  new 
boy."  The  day  did  not  end,  however,  without  its 
incident. 

Young  Willard  as  soon  as  he  had  made  his  bow  to 
his  new  teacher,  was  placed  upon  a  bench  in  close 
proximity  to  a  pretty  little  girl  of  about  his  own  age. 
Instead  of  wasting  his  time  therefore,  by  studying  the 
less  attractive  lineaments  of  his  male  companion?,  he 
made  a  careful  comparison  between  this  young  lady 
and  the  other  girls  present,  the  result  of  which  was 
that  the  moment  he  was  permitted  to  go  out  during 
the  customary  recess,  he  bounded  off  home  at  the  top 
of  his  speed,  and  with  all  the  exuberance  natural  to 
his  years  announced  to  his  astonished  mother,  "  Mother ! 
mother !  I've  picked  out  my  wife  !  " 

Susceptibility  to  the  influence  of  beauty  seems,  at 
this  period  of  Willard's  life,  to  have  been  one  of  his 
prominent  characteristics,  for  in  addition  to  exhibiting 
itself  in  the  manner  described,  upon  another  occasion 
not  long  afterwards  it  broke  out  as  follows : 

Every  school-boy  is  aware  that  there  is  nothing  so 
humiliating  to  a  male  pupil  at  a  public  school  as  to 


BETWEEN  TWO   GIRLS.  37 

be  called  a  "girl-boy."  Hence,  for  trivial  offences  a 
boy  is  often  punished  by  being  sandwiched  between 
two  girls,  and  compelled  to  remain  there  until  the 
offence  committed  has  been  sufficiently  atoned  for. 
Now  young  Willard  was  frequently  guilty  of  talking 
during  study  hours,  and  his  teacher  determined  to  try 
this  species  of  punishment  upon  him  with  a  view  of 
correcting  the  offensive  habit.  As  soon,  therefore,  as 
he  caught  him  indulging  in  the  prohibited  practice,  he 
was  ordered  to  take  his  place  between  two  very  young 
ladies  of  six  and  eight  summers  respectively.  To  the 
amazement  of  his  teacher,  young  Willard  sustained  the 
infliction  smilingly,  and  believing  that  this  was  an 
indication  that  the  culprit  recognized  the  justice  of  the 
punishment  and  was  practising  a  commendable  patience, 
he  very  soon  called  him  up  to  his  own  desk,  reasoned 
with  him  upon  the  necessity  of  observing  the  rules  of 
school,  and  released  him  with  an  admonition  to  be 
careful  for  the  future,  as  a  repetition  of  his  offence 
would  certainly  be  followed  by  a  repetition  of  the 
punishment. 

Willard  said  nothing,  but  went  to  his.desk,  and  for 
the  space  of  five  minutes,  perhaps,  there  was  complete 
silence  in  the  school-room.  Then  Mr.  was  star- 
tled to  hear  a  distinct,  clear,  unmistakable  whisper 
break  in  upon  his  meditations, and  became  as  suddenly 
struck  with  the  conviction  that  it  was  uttered  by 
Master  Willard  Glazier. 

The  countenance  of  the  pedagogue  grew  dark  and 
stern.  Fire  shot  from  his  usually  calm  eyes,  and  his 
expression  betokened  the  fact  that  this  flagrant  act  of 
disobedience  was  more  than  he  could  bear.  Indigna- 
tion however  soon  gave  place  to  astonishment,  for  the 

443313 


38  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

little  fellow,  without  waiting  for  a  single  word  from 
his  teacher's  lips,  quietly  arose  to  his  feet,  and  with 
the  placid  expression  of  an  individual  performing  a 
meritorious  action,  marched  across  the  school-room  and 
deliberately  seated  himself  in  the  place  he  had  before 
occupied  between  the  two  little  girls. 

"  Willard  Glazier !  "  thundered  the  master,  "  come 
here,  sir,  immediately!  " 

The  boy  of  course  instantly  obeyed. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ! "  exclaimed  the  teacher, 
"how  dare  you  conduct  yourself  in  this  disgraceful 
manner,  sir ! " 

Young  Willard  looked  astonished. 

"  Why,  Mr. ,"  said  he, "  didn't  you  say  that  if  I 

whispered  to  Myron  Sprague  again,  I  should  go  back 
and  sit  between  Lizzie  and  Annie?" 

"Yes,  sir,  I  did,  and  how  dare  you  disobey  me  in 
this  way?" 

"  Why,  sir,"  said  Willard,  "  I  whispered  again  to 
him,  because,  sir, — because — I  like  to  sit  there,  sir." 

A  light  dawned  upon  the  mind  of  the  master,  and 
thereafter  he  adopted  a  less  attractive  mode  of  pun- 
ishing Willard's  offences.  To  some  of  my  readers 
such  incidents  may  seem  too  trivial  for  record,  and 
no  doubt  such  days  as  these  are  foolish  days,  but 
are  they  not  in  our  memories,  among  our  very  happiest 
too?  As  David  Copperfield  said  of  such,  so  say  we, 
that  "  of  all  my  time  that  Time  has  in  his  grip,  there's 
none  at  which  I  smile  so  much,  or  think  of  half  so 
kindly." 

The  usual  surroundings  of  a  public  school  made  a 
great  change  in  the  existence  of  Willard  Glazier,  and 
it  is  necessary  to  note  its  influence,  for  in  writing  the 


PRACTICAL  JOKES.  39 

life  of  a  man  in  its  private  as  well  as  its  public  rela- 
tions, the  chief  point  to  be  considered  is  that  which 
men  call  character,  and  how  it  was  formed  and  fash- 
ioned. 

If  the  truth  must  be  told,  the  "  little  deacon  "  had 
not  been  a  month  in  attendance  at  school  before  he 
was  up  to  every  imaginable  species  of  mischief  that  the 
fertile  brain  of  a  school-boy  could  conceive — provided 
its  execution  did  not  involve  unequivocal  untruth  or 
palpable  dishonesty. 

No  human  being,  save  one,  was  exempt  from  his 
practical  jokes.  That  one  was  his  mother.  In  his 
wildest  moods,  a  glance  of  reproach  from  her  would 
check  him.  His  father,  however,  enjoyed  no  such 
immunity,  and  in  a  kindly  way,  he  delighted  in  tor- 
menting the  good  man  whenever  the  opportunity 
offered. 

For  instance,  that  worthy  gentleman,  among  other 
idiosyncracies,  was  a  follower  of  the  so-called  Dr. 
Sylvester  Graham,  an  ex-Presbyterian  clergyman  who, 
in  1832,  inaugurated,  by  a  familiar  course  of  lectures, 
a  new  system  of  dietetics. 

The  Grahamites,  as  they  were  called,  held  that 
health  is  the  necessary  result  of  obeying  certain  physi- 
cal laws,  and  disease  the  equally  certain  result  of 
disobeying  them  ;  that  all  stimulants  are  pernicious  to 
the  human  body,  and  should  be  rejected,  except  in 
those  rare  cases  where  it  becomes  necessary  to  admin- 
ister one  known  poison  as  an  antidote  to  another 
equally  deadly,  in  order  to  neutralize  its  effects  or 
expel  it  from  the  system.  Dr.  Graham  condemned 
the  use  of  tea,  coffee  and  spices,  tobacco,  opium,  and 
not  only  alcoholic  drinks  but  even  beer  and  cider, 


4(J  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

declaring  that  all  were  equally  poisonous,  and  thnt 
they  only  differed  in  the  degree  in  which  their  evil 
qualities  were  concentrated  or  expanded. 

Ward  Glazier  held  this  theory  to  be  the  result  of  a 
profound  philosophy,  and  considered  the  observance 
of  the  course  of  diet  he  prescribed  to  be  the  only  wav 
in  which  a  human  being  could  secure  for  himself  a 
sound  mind  in  a  sound  body.  In  medicine,  Mr. 
Glazier  was  an  equally  rigid  hydropathist.  He  held 
that  the  system  of  water  cure  was  the  only  rational 
system  of  healing.  One  of  his  individual  fancies  was 
to  drink  only  water  obtained  from  a  particular  spring. 
This  spring  was  beautifully  clear  and  cold,  and  was 
situated  at  the  distance  of  about  sixty  rods  from  the 
house.  It  was  Willard's  allotted  duty  each  day  to  fill 
a  large  pitcher  from  its  crystal  treasures  for  use  at 
meals.  In  order  to  do  this,  the  brooklet  being  ex- 
tremely shallow,  and  running  over  masses  of  pebbles, 
he  was  compelled  to  kneel  and  dip  it  up  with  a  cup, 
— an  operation  requiring  both  time  and  patience. 
Now  within  a  few  yards  of  this  place  flowed  a  small 
stream  or  creek  considerably  deeper  and  of  larger 
volume,  fed  by  a  number  of  rills,  and  as  the  boy  had 
conceived  the  impression  that  his  father  only  fancied 
a  distinction  where  there  was  really  no  difference, 
between  the  waters  of  the  rival  streams,  it  occurred  to 
him  that  he  might  just  as  well  plunge  his  pitcher  in 
the  latter,  fill  it  by  a  single  effort,  and  thus  save  him- 
self what  he  especially  disliked, — useless  labor.  This 
he  did  with  the  following  result: 

Ward  Glazier  was  just  about  sitting  down  to  dinner 
as  Willard  entered,  and  observing  that  his  son  came 
from  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  creek,  poured 


A   PITCHER   OF   WATER.  41 

jut  and  tasted  a  little  of  the  water  with  evident  dis- 
satisfaction. 

"  Willard,"  said  he,  "you  didn't  get  this  from  the 
spring ;  this  is  creek  water.  Now  go  right  back  and 
get  a  pitcherful  from  the  spring." 

Off  started  Master  Willard  to  do  as  he  was  bidden, 
but  on  his  way,  the  originator  of  all  mischief  suggested 
to  his  fertile  brain  the  idea  of  playing  a  trick  upon  his 
father ;  so  instead  of  going  to  the  spring,  he  simply 
loitered  for  a  few  moments  out  of  sight  of  such  of  the 
family  as  might  be  at  the  windows, 

"Under  an  elm  whose  antique  roots  peep  out 
Upon  the  brook,  that  brawls  along  the  wood." 

He  then  quietly  sauntered  back,  with  the  identical 
pitcher  of  water  with  which  he  had  come  forth. 

"  There,"  said  he,  emphatically,  as  if  he  had  fulfilled 
his  mission,  at  the  same  time  placing  the  pitcher  near 
his  father's  plate  upon  the  table.  The  good  man  took 
it  up,  examined  the  contents  with  a  critical  eye,  poured 
out  a  glassful  of  the  sparkling  liquid  and  drained  it 
to  the  last  drop. 

"Ah,"  said  he,  with  a  sigh  expressive  of  great  satis- 
faction, "that  is  something  like  water!  that  does  a 
man  good  ! " 

This  evidence  of  parental  fallibility  Master  Willard 
enjoyed  hugely,  but  it  was  many  years  before  he  ven- 
tured to  give  his  father  an  opportunity  to  join  in  the 
laugh  at  his  own  expense,  by  telling  him  of  the  occur- 
rence. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

WILLARD   GLAZIER  AT   SCHOOL. 

School-days  continued. — Boys  will  be  boys. — Cornelius  Carter,  the 
teacher. — Young  Willard's  rebellion  against  injustice. — Gum- 
chewing. — Laughable  race  through  the  snow. — The  tumble  into 
a  snow-bank,  and  what  came  of  it. — The  runaway  caught. — 
Explanation  and  reconciliation. — The  new  master,  James  Nichols. 
— "Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child." — The  age  of  chivalry 
not  gone. — Magnanimity  of  a  school-boy. — Friendship  between 
Willard  and  Henry  Abbott. — Good-bye  to  the  "  little  deacon." 

WILLARD  GLAZIER  was,  by  no  means,  what 
is  termed  a  bad  boy,  at  school. 

It  is  true  he  was  full  of  mischief;  was  the  last  in 
for  study  and  the  first  out  for  recreation,  but  he  was 
neither  disobedient  nor  inattentive  to  his  lessons.  One 
scholarly  element,  however,  he  lacked.  The  bump 
which  phrenologists  term  reverence  had  small  develop- 
ment in  him  at  this  period  of  his  existence.  His 
record  always  stood  high  in  the  matter  of  lessons,  but 
low  in  the  matter  of  conduct.  Instances  of  insubor- 
dination occurred  whenever  he  thought  he  was  treated 
unfairly,  while  no  boy  was  ever  more  ready  to  submit 
to  authority  when  wisely  and  justly  administered.  The 
following  incident  is  an  illustration  in  point: 

One  of  his  teachers  bore  the  name  of  Cornelius 
Carter.  We  have  been  unable  to  ascertain  this  gentle- 
man's nationality,  nor  would  his  history,  if  known  to 
us,  be  pertinent  to  this  work,  but  we  have  reason  to 
(42) 


CORNELIUS  CARTER.  43 

believe  that  he  was  of  Scottish  descent,  if  not  actually 
a  native  of  that 

"  Land  of  brown  heath  and  shaggy  wood, 
Land  of  the  mountain  and  the  flood." 

At  all  events  he  possessed  all  the  sterling  qualities 
of  that  clear-headed  people. 

A  man  of  fine  parts  and  scholarly  attainments, 
earnestly  bent  upon  doing  his  whole  duty,  vigorous, 
energetic  and  thorough  in  everything,  Carter  was  just 
the  man  to  conduct  a  school  with  mathematical  precision, 
but  at  the  same  time,  his  natural  irritability  was  such 
that  the  whirlwind  was  less  fierce  than  his  wrath,  when 
the  latter  was  aroused.  About  the  time  of  his  advent 
among  the  pupils  at  the  Little  York  public  school, 
gum-chewing  had  become  an  accomplishment  among 
the  boys,  and  though  it  was  a  species  of  amusement 
positively  forbidden,  was  carried  on  surreptitiously 
throughout  the  school. 

One  dark  winter  morning  just  after  a  heavy  fall  of 
snow,  it  happened  that  our  friend  Willard,  though 
placed  upon  a  bench  in  the  middle  of  a  row  of  these 
gum-chewing  juveniles,  was  himself  not  chewing,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  he  had  no  gum  to  chew,  and 
his  next  neighbors  .were  niggardly  enough  to  refuse  to 
give  him  auy. 

Suddenly  the  hawk  eye  of  Carter  swept  down  upon 
the  offending  group ;  and  quite  assured  that  if 
mischief  was  in  progress,  young  Glazier  was  in  it, 
came  forward  and  stretching  out  his  long  arms,  placed 
his  palms  upon  the  outermost  cheek  of  each  "end 
boy,"  and  brought  the  heads  of  the  entire  line  together 
with  a  shock  that  made  them  ring  again.  Then,  with- 
out a  word,  he  caught  each  urchin  in  turn  by  the  collar 


44  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

of  his  coat,  and  with  one  vigorous  jerk  swung  him 
into  the  middle  of  the  floor  and  in  his  sternest  tones 
bade  them  stand  there  until  further  orders. 

Willard  did  not  at  the  moment  venture  to  say  any- 
thing, but  stood  with  the  rest,  nursing  his  wrath. 
Had  he  really  been  at  fault  lie  would  have  thought 
nothing  of  it,  but  first  to  have  been  deprived  by 
circumstances  of  the  opportunity  to  break  the  rules, 
and  then  to  be  punished  for  a  breach  of  them,  was 
too  much. 

He  waited,  without  a  word,  until  the  group  of 
delinquents,  after  listening  to  a  scathing  lecture,  were 
dismissed  to  their  seats.  He  then  deliberately  proceeded 
to  put  his  books  under  his  arm,  preparatory  to  making 
a  start  for  home. 

One  of  the  monitors,  a  large  boy,  observing  this 
movement,  informed  Mr.  Carter  that  Willard  Glazier 
was  going  to  "  cut  for  home,"  in  other  words,  to  leave 
school  without  permission. 

The  master,  upon  receiving  this  intelligence,  started 
down  the  aisle  towards  young  Willard ;  but  that 
restive  youth  perceiving  the  movement,  made  rapid 
time  for  the  door,  and  dashed  down-stairs  closely  pur- 
sued by  the  now  furious  pedagogue. 

Having  some  rods  the  advantage  at  the  start,  the 
boy  reached  the  exterior  of  the  building  first,  and 
struck  out  in  a  straight  line  for  home. 

The  storms  which  prevailed  throughout  the  entire 
winter  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  had  piled  up  their 
accumulated  snows  over  the  space  of  ground  that 
separated  the  school-house  from  Willard  Glazier's  home. 
Over  this  single  expanse  of  deep  snow  many  feet  had 
trodden  a  hard  path,  which  alternate  melting  and 
freezing  had  formed  into  a  solid,  slippery,  back-bono 


RACE   WITH  THE  SCHOOLMASTER.  45 

looking  ridge,  altogether  unsafe  for  fast  travel.  Over 
this  ridge  young  Willard  was  now  running  at  the  top  of 
his  speed.  In  view  of  the  probable  flogging  behind, 
he  took  no  heed  of  the  perils  of  the  path  before  him. 

"  So  like  an  arrow,  swift  he  flew 

Shot  by  an  archer  strong, 
So  did  he  fly,  which  brings  me  to 
The  middle  of  my  song." 

As  for  Carter,  not  a  whit  daunted  by  the  icy  path 
and  the  fact  that  he  was  hatless,  in  slippers,  and  clad 
only  in  a  long,  loose  summer  coat  worn  in  the  heated 
school-room,  he  gave  chase  in  gallant  style,  and  while 
Willard  possessed  the  advantage  of  an  earlier  start, 
the  teacher's  long  legs  compensated  for  the  time  gained 
by  his  pupil,  and  made  a  pretty  even  race  of  it. 

On  he  "went  therefore,  his  coat-tails  standing  out 
straight  like  the  forks  of  a  boot-jack,  and  a  red 
bandanna  handkerchief  streaming  in  the  wind  from 
Ins  pocket  behind  like  some  fierce  piratic  flag !  On, 
too,  went  Master  Willard  Glazier,  until  both — one 
now  nearly  upon  the  heels  of  the  other — reached  a 
troublesome  miniature  glacier,  when  each  missed  his 
footing. 

Down  went  the  boy's  head  and  up  went  the  master's 
heels,  and  the  pair  lay  together,  panting  for  breath,  in 
the  drifts  of  a  contiguous  snow-bank. 

"Ah,  ha ! "  said  Carter,  when  he  had  recovered 
sufficiently  to  speak,  "so  you  were  going  home,  were 
you?" 

"Yes,"  said  young  Willard,  as  his  head  emerged 
from  the  drift,  looking  like  an  animated  snow-ball, 
"and  I  would  have  reached  there,  too,  if  I  hadn't 
slipped." 


46  SWORD   AND   PEN. 

This  was  all  that  was  said,  at  the  time,  but  as  Mr. 
Carter  led  his  prisoner  back,  an  explanation  took  place, 
in  which  the  lad  so  strongly  insisted  that  his  escapade 
arose  from  a  sense  of  the  gross  injustice  done  him, 
that  Carter's  own  sense  of  right  was  touched,  and  after 
admonishing  the  boy  to  take  a  different  mode  of 
redressing  his  grievances  in  the  future,  he  agreed  to 
forego  the  flogging  and  let  Master  Willard  finish  the 
remainder  of  the  session  in  the  customary  way. 

After  this  occurrence,  Willard  got  along  very  well 
under  the  tuition  of  Mr.  Carter,  and  it  was  not  until 
some  years  later,  when  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of 
Nichols  took  charge  of  the  school,  that  anything 
transpired  worthy  of  note. 

James  Nichols  was  a  devout  believer  in  Solomon's 
maxim  that  to  spare  the  rod  is  to  spoil  the  child.  The 
whip  was  his  arbiter  in  all  differences  which  arose 
between  his  pupils  and  himself.  He  never  paused,  a.s 
Mr.  Montieth  has  lately  done,  to  consider  that  at  least 
two-thirds  of  the  offences  for  which  children  are  flogged 
at  school  are  "crimes  for  which  they  are  in  nowise 
responsible,"  and  "  when  stripped  of  the  color  given 
to  them  by  senseless  and  unmeaning  rules,  they  are 
simply  the  crimes  of  being  a  boy  and  being  a  girl," 
and  are  "  incited  by  bad  air,  cold  feet,  overwork  and 
long  confinement;  crimes  which  the  pa-rents  of  these 
same  children  are  accustomed  to  excuse  in  themselves, 
when  they  sit  in  church,  by  the  dulness  of  the  sermon, 
or  other  circumstances  that  offend  against  nature  and 
which  they  sometimes  soothe  with  fennel  or  hartshorn, 
or  change  of  position,  and  not  unseldom  with  sleep." 
In  school  discipline  Mr.  Nichols  was  a  pure  materialist. 
He  never  realized  Cayley's  profound  lesson  that 


BREACH  OF  DISCIPLINE.  47 

"  education  is  not  the  mere  storing  a  youthful  memory 
with  a  bundle  of  facts  which  it  neither  digests  nor 
assimilates,"  but  that  it  is  the  formation  and  training 
of  a  mind.  Under  his  regime  the  rod  ruled  everything. 
Even  the  offence  of  whispering  was  punished  by  the 
iash. 

Upon  one  occasion,  when  young  Willard  was  seated 
between  two  brothers — Henry  and  Brayton  Abbott  by 
name — engaged  in  solving  Algebraic  problems,  a 
whispered  inquiry,  regarding  the  lesson,  passed  from 
one  to  the  other. 

Mr.  Nichols  at  the  moment  happened  to  glance 
towards  them,  and  conjectured,  by  the  movement  of 
Willard's  lips,  that  he  was  violating  the  rule  against 
whispering. 

"Willard  Glazier!"  said  he,  angrily,  "come  out 
here,  sir ! " 

The  boy  obeyed. 

"Now  then,  Willard,"  said  Mr.  Nichols,  "I 
presume  you  understand  the  rules  of  this  school?" 

"  I  think  I  do,  sir." 

"  Very  well,  then  you  know  that  whispering  during 
the  hours  of  study  is  a  breach  of  its  discipline,  and 
that  I  must  punish  you." 

Willard  said  nothing. 

"  Have  you  a  knife,  sir  ?  "  pursued  the  teacher. 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  the  boy,  not  quite  certain  whether 
the  knife  was  wanted  for  the  purpose  of  scalping  him, 
or  merely  with  a  view  of  amputating  the  unruly 
member  which  had  been  the  instrument  of  offence. 
"  Well,  take  this  one,"  said  Nichols,  handing  him  a 
five-bladed  pocket-knife,  with  the  large  blade  open, 
"  go  out  and  cut  me  a  good  stout  stick." 


48  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

The  boy  by  no  means  relished  the  prospect  this 
mission  suggested,  but  seeing  no  means  of  escape,  he 
went  to  a  grove  in  the  neighborhood  and  cut  a  stick 
whose  dimensions  resembled  a  young  tree — shrewdly 
suspecting  that  Nichols  would  never  venture  to  use  a 
club  of  such  size. 

With  this  stick  he  stalked  majestically  back  to  the 
school-room.  As  he  entered,  he  saw  Henry  Abbott 
standing  up  in  front  of  the  teacher's  desk,  and  heard 
him  litter  these  words : 

"It  is  not  fair,  Mr.  Nichols,  to  flog  Willard  alone. 
It  was  my  fault,  sir.  I  beckoned  to  Brayton  and 
whispered  first.  That  is  what  started  it.  You  should 
whip  me,  too,  sir." 

The  master,  as  we  have  said,  was  stern  and  uncom- 
promising, but  his  nature  was  not  entirely  devoid  of 
feeling,  and  as  he  heard  the  brave  admission,  his  eye 
lighted  up  with  sudden  softness. 

"Go  back  to  your  seats,  boys,"  said  he,  "I  will  not 
flog  either  of  you  to-day.  Lads  that  are  brave  enough 
to  face  the  punishment  of  one  offence  as  you  have 
done,  can,  I  hope,  be  trusted  not  to  soon  commit 
another." 

The  incident  was  one  that  raised  the  tone  of  the 
whole  school,  and  it  gave  rise  to  a  warm  feeling  of 
admiration  in  Willard  Glazier's  breast  for  Henry 
Abbott  which  did  Willard  good,  and  made  the  two 
youths  firm  friends. 

Thus  the  years  sped  on — dotted  with  little  incidents 
that  seem  too  trivial  to  relate,  and  yet  each  one  of  which 
had  some  effect  upon  the  future  life  and  character  of 
young  Willard.  He  had  become  a  pretty  wild  boy  by 


OPPOSING  INFLUENCES.  49 

this  time,  and   the  cognomen  of  the  "little  deaco,  " 
was  dropped  without  ceremony. 

Although  he  was  marked  high  for  scholarly  attai.1. 
ment,  he  received  many  a  bad  mark  for  violating  the 
rules  of  school. 

This  state  of  affairs  existed  until  the  boy  had 
reached  the  age  of  eleven  years,  when  he  was  brought 
into  contact  with  two  diametrically  opposite  influences, 
one  of  which  was  calculated  to  make  and  the  other  to 
mar  his  future  character  and  fortunes. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ECCENTRICITIES   OF   HENRY   GLAZIER. 

Henry  Glazier. — A  singular  character. — "  Kaw-shaw-gan-ce  "  and 
"  Quaw-taw-pee-ah." — Tom  Lolar  and  Henry  Glazier. — Attrac- 
tive show-bills. — Billy  Muldoon  and  his  trombone. — Behind  thf 
scenes. — "  Sound  your  G ! " — The  mysterious  musician. — What 
happened  to  Billy. — "  May  the  divil  fly  away  wid  ye  !  " 

AT  this  time  there  resided  in  the  paternal  home- 
stead a  younger  brother  of  Ward  Glazier  named 
Henry,  who  was  Willard's  senior  by  about  eleven 
years,  and,  physically  speaking,  was  a  splendid  specimen 
of  masculine  development.  Like  his  brothers  Ward 
and  George,  he  stood  six  feet  in  his  stockings,  and 
literally  looked  down  on  his  fellows. 

He  had  conceived  a  great  liking  for  his  nephew 
Willard,  and  on  many  a  hunting  excursion  in  the 
Great  North  Woods,  the  boy  was  his  only  com- 
panion. This  affection,  however,  was  not  unmingled 
with  some  contempt  for  the  lad's  diminutive  stature. 

Upon  one  occasion,  during  a  visit  to  West  Boyls- 
ton,  he  made  it  his  business  to  search  out  the  rela- 
tives of  Willard's  mother,  in  order  to  ascertain  what 
sort  of  stock  she  came  from.  On  returning  home,  this 
son  of  Anak  exclaimed,  with  a  dejected  air : 

"Mother,  I'll    be   hanged   if   I   ain't  discouraged ! 

Our  Willard  will  always  be  a  little  runt.     His  mother's 

folks  aiu't  bigger'n  a  pinch 

(-50) 


KAW-SHAW-GAN-CE.  51 

How  far  the  prediction  has  been  verified  any  one 
who  has  seen  the  compact,  sinewy  form  of  the  young 
soldier  will  understand. 

Henry  Glazier  reveled  in  everything  sensational. 
His  -ideal  of  heaven  was  a  succession  of  tableaux  in 
which  he  was  to  play  the  principal  part. 

At  one  time  he  joined  another  eccentric  character 
named  Torn  Lolar,  an  Indian  of  the  Seneca  tribe,  whoso 
lands  in  the  long  ago  of  Indian  history  bordered  the 
blue  waters  of  Lake  Seneca  in  central  New  York. 
This  peculiar  pair  proceeded  to  electrify  certain  rural 
communities  in  their  immediate  neighborhood  with  huge 
posters,  announcing  that  on  a  given  night : 

KAW-SHAW-GAN-CE, 

OB 

THE   RED  WILD   CAT, 

THE 

Great  Chief  of  the   Walaitipu  Indians, 
Now  traveling  for  the  benefit  of  his  tribe,  proposes  to  exhibit  to  an 

enlightened  public  the 
TROPHIES  WON  BY  HIS  BRAVES, 

In  their  battles  with  other  Ferocious  Tribes  beyond  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  the  Great  Chief  will  likewise  give  an 

exhibition  of  the 
WAR  DANCES  OF  HIS  NATION. 

Accordingly  upon  the  night  in  question  Tom  Lolai 
as  " Kaw-shaw-gan-ce"  and  Henry  Glazier  as  ticket 
agent,  reaped  sucn  an  excellent  harvest  that  the  latter 
concluded  to  start  a  "live  Indian"  upon  his  own 
account. 


52  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

This  he  accordingly  did,  dubbing  the  prodigy  of 
his  creation  "  Quaw-taw-pee-ah,"  or  the  "  Red  Wild 
Cat." 

Whether  this  venture  was  successful  or  not  we  have 
failed  to  learn,  but  there  is  one  story  connected  with  it 
which  is  too  good  to  be  lost,  though  it  lacks  satisfac- 
tory evidence  of  authenticity. 

The  legend  runs  that  our  enterprising  manager  went 
three  miles  away  and  hunted  up  a  genuine  old  native 
of  Erin  who  had  deserted  from  the  British  army, 
where  he  held  some  position  in  one  of  the  military 
bands  attached  to  a  regiment  stationed  in  Canada. 
With  true  Irish  instinct  this  exile  of  Erin  had  brought 
his  trombone  across  the  border,  and  "the  enterprising 
manager" — to  use  the  language  of  the  bills — "  secured 
in  him  the  services  of  an  eminent  musician,  lately  of 
her  Majesty's  Royal  Band, "  to  discourse  sweet  music 
during  the  entire  performance.  This  and  other  attrac- 
tive announcements  drew  a  goodly  crowd  of  lads  and 
lasses  from  far  and  near  to  the  place  appointed,  and 
when  the  doors — otherwise  tent-flaps — were  open,  the 
assemblage  marched  in  to  the  entrancing  strains  of 
the  trombone,  as  played  by  "Professor  Muldoonati" 
alias  Billy  Muldoon. 

Everything  passed  oft'  well.  "  Quaw-taw-pee-ah  " 
presented  to  the  elite  of  the  locality  a  type  of  the  abor- 
iginal American,  which  at  least  possessed  the  merit 
of  originality.  If  the  audience  expected  to  be  aston- 
ished they  were  not  disappointed ;  for  such  an  Indian 
as  they  then  beheld  no  living  eye  had  ever  looked 
upon  before. 

Mr.  Catlin  would  have  admitted  that  this  noble  red 
man  was  alien  to  any  of  his  tribes,  and  even  Cooper's 


Q 1 1A  W-TA  W-PEE-AH.  53 

.Leather-Stocking  would  have  conceded  that  his  was  a 
new  revelation  of  savage  humanity.  It  is  barely  pos- 
sible that  Buffalo  Bill  may  have  dreamed  of  something 
like  him,  and  it  is  not  impossible  that  the  late  Edwin 
Forrest  may  have  actually  been  on  speaking  terms  with 
his  brother,  but  outside  of  these  two  gentlemen,  we  do 
not  believe  that  human  imagination  ever  conceived  a 
child  of  the  forest  in  any  respect  resembling  "  Quaw- 
taw-pee-ah"  on  his  opening  night. 

It  did  seem  a  little  singular  to  combine  the  convivial 
music  of  "  St.  Patrick's  day  in  the  morning "  with 
such  diabolical  grimaces  and  gestures  as  those  which 
the  Great  Chief  used  in  the  pantomimic  expression 
of  his  sentiments.  But  the  people  were  prepared  for 
originality,  and  they  had  it.  At  any  rate  the  perform- 
ance received  their  loud  applause.  At  last,  however,  it 
was  over :  the  successive  scenes  of  the  programme  had 
come  and  gone — the  war  dances  were  finished,  the 
curtain  had  fallen  on  the  last  act,  and  Billy  Muldoon's 
trombone  had  subsided  into  silence.  But  if  the  per- 
formance within  was  wild,  it  was  nothing  to  the  wild 
night  without.  It  was  the  seventeenth  of  March,  and 
the  snow  had  been  steadily  falling  since  morning, 
shrouding  the  hills  and  all  the  surrounding  country 
with  a  mantle  as  white  and  cold  as  a  winding  sheet. 

The  wind  had  increased  since  nightfall,  and  by  the 
time  "  Quaw-taw-pee-ah "  had  washed  his  face  of  its 
red  lead,  and  Mr.  Muldoon  had  been  paid  his  share  of 
the  proceeds,  it  was  blowing  "  great  guns,"  as  the 
sailors  say.  Out  into  such  a  night  as  this  the  audience 
dispersed  :  but  the  lights  of  home  shone  through  the 
blinding  storm  near  at  hand,  and  buffeting  with  the 
fierce  gusts  of  whirlirig  snow  and  wind  vas  only  brave 


54  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

sport  for  them.  Not  so,  however,  with  Mr.  Billy  Mul- 
doon.  His  home  was  three  miles  away,  and  though 
the  prospect  without  was  anything  but  pleasant,  he 
prepared  to  face  it  like  a  man.  His  only  pre- 
caution was  to  see  that  an  old  army  canteen  was 
filled  afresh  with  the  best  whiskey  the  neighbor- 
hood afforded.  Then  he  started  on  his  homeward 
journey. 

At  first  it  was  pretty  hard  work.  The  snow  had 
drifted  into  heaps  in  some  places,  and  rose  almost  to 
the  little  man's  waist.  Still  he  struggled  bravely  on. 
only  stopping  now  and  then  to  celebrate  the  anniversary 
of  Ireland's  Patron  Saint  by  taking  a  long  pull  and 
a  strong  pull  at  the  canteen. 

For  a  half-hour  or  more  he  made  but  slow  progress 
through  the  pitiless,  pelting  storm,  and  he  heartily 
cursed  his  folly  in  attempting  the  task  of  coming  home 
at  all,  on  such  a  night  as  this.  But  a  change  came 
o'er  the  spirit  of  his  dream.  As  the  contents  of  the 
canteen  had  diminished,  Billy's  spirits  had  risen  in 
exact  proportion,  his  heart  had  grown  strong  and  he 
began  to  despise  the  difficulties  in  his  way.  In 
fact  he  was  as  happy  as  a  prince,  and  rather  liked 
the  idea  of  facing  the  snow  drifts  and  fighting  the 
wind.  So  on  he  went.  What  seemed  strange  to 
Billy  was  the  fact  that  there  seemed  to  be  so 
much  sameness  in  the  surrounding  features  of  the 
landscape — or  so  much  of  .it  as  he  could  discover, 
during  the  momentary  lulls  of  the  storm.  He  there- 
fore stopped  short,  steadied  himself  for  a  moment,  and 
took  another  drink ;  which  proceeding  seemed  to 
clear  up  his  mind  on  the  puzzled  subject,  for  mut- 
tering that  it  was  "all  roight,"  he  once  more  started 
forward. 


SILLY  MULDOON.  55 

Another  half-hour  passed  and  still  another,  and  yet 
Billy  found  the  road  open  before  him,  with  no  sign  of  his 
own  humble  little  home.  He  began  to  grow  very 
tired  and  considerably  muddled,  and  paused  at  length 
to  consider  the  situation. 

In  front  of  him  he  perceived  something  so  like  the 
lane  that  led  to  his  own  shanty  that  he  joyfully 
proceeded,  and  at  length  reached  what  he  believed  to 
be  a  back  door  that  he  had  directed  his  wife  to  leave 
"  on  the  latch  "  for  his  return. 

What  surprised  him  was  that  he  could  see  no  light 
within.  .He  was,  however,  sufficiently  aware  of  the 
fact  that  he  had  taken  more  of  "the  crayther"  than 
his  good  woman  would  approve  of,  so  not  caring  to 
wake  her  up,  he  stole  to  the  door  and  tried  to  lift  the 
latch.  It  was  fastened.  Everything  within  was  dark 
as  Erebus,  and  not  a  sound  could  be  heard  except  the 
low  breathing  of  what  he  supposed  to  be  his  sleeping 
children.  This  rather  excited  Billy's  wrath.  He  had 
been  particular  in  his  injunction  to  leave  the  door 
unbolted,  and  it  was  hard  to  be  kept  out  in  the  storm 
on  such  a  night  as  this.  He  called  out — at  first  in  a 
whisper,  then  louder  and  louder — to  Kathleen  to  let 
him  in.  There  was  no  response.  Yet  he  certainly 
heard  the  movement  of  feet  within.  What  could  it 
mean?  The  little  man  finally  swore  a  big  oath  and 
fiercely  demanded  admittance;  but  still  there  came  no 
reply.  He  then  essayed  to  force  the  door,  and  to 
his  utter  amazement  the  upper  part  of  it  gave  way, 
opening  out  like  a  window-shutter,  while  the  lower 
part  remained  firm.  The  musician  therefore  climbed 
up,  and  seating  himself  on  the  edge  of  the  door,  peered 
in.  He  could  see  nothing  but  a  black  void.  To 


56  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

use  his  own  figure  of  speech,  "yez  might  as  well 
hunt  for  Gineral  Washington's  will  down  a  black 
dog's  throat,  as  attimpt  to  see  the  nose  on  yer  face  in 
there!" 

He  was  nearly  paralyzed  with  astonishment.  Sud- 
denly a  bright  thought  struck  him.  He  raised  his 
trombone  to  his  lips,  and  in  spite  of  the  mingled 
emotions  that  agitated  his  breast,  blew  upon  it  a  blast 
loud  enough  to  have  waked  the  dead. 

O 

Imagine  therefore  how  his  previous  astonishment 
was  deepened  into  almost  idiotic  wonder  when  he  heard 
a  reply  from  what  appeared  to  be  a  trombone  of  more 
gigantic  power  than  his  own.  "  Bur-r-r ! "  went  Mr. 
Muldoon's  instrument. 

"  Boo— o— o !  "  replied  the  invisible  respondent. 

Billy  was  amazed.  Billy  was  awe-stricken.  But 
the  instinct  of  the  musician  rose  above  all  other 
emotions. 

"Sound  your  G! "  said  Billy. 

"  Boo-o-o ! "  was  the  answer  in  a  deeper  base  than 
before. 

"  Yer  out  o'  tune,  ye  domned  old  fool ! "  says  Billy. 

"  Boo-o-o ! "  came  the  response  once  more. 

"  Sound  yerG,  and  take  that, ye  murtherin  spal{«en !" 
said  the  now  thoroughly  exasperated  musician,  dashing 
his  own  instrument  in  the  direction  of  his  invisible  rival. 

Just  then  poor  Billy  saw  a  ferocious-looking  pair  of 
eyes  glaring  at  him,  and  before  he  had  time  to  add 
another  word,  some  huge  object  rushed  towards  him, 
struck  him  a  determined  blow,  and  lifting  him  off  his 
perch  sent  him  into  the  middle  of  the  road. 

The  fact  is,  Billy  had  wandered  very  much  out  of 
his  way,  and  had  mistaken  Ward  Glazier's  barn  fojr 


SILLY  AND  THE  BULL.  57 

his  own  dwelling.  The  supposed  rival  musician  was 
our  old  acquaintance,  "  Black-face,"  the  Bull. 

Billy  picked  himself  up  from  the  snow,  and,  regard- 
less of  his  bruised  body  and  aching  bones,  steadied 
himself  for  a  last  shot  at  the  enemy.  The  little  man 
looked  in  the  direction  where  he  thought  his  adversary 
ought  to  be,  and  though  he  could  see  nothing  through 
the  darkness  and  storm,  he  shouted  out,  in  accents  of 
blended  dignity  and  contempt : 

"  May  the  divil  fly  away  wid  ye !  Ye  may 
be  the  sthronger  of  the  two,  but,  be  jabers,  yer  no 
museecian ! " 

How  he  eventually  got  home  and  what  were  his 
sentiments  regarding  the  adventure  with  which  he  had 
met,  are  facts  that  do  not  concern  this  history ;  but  it 
is  quite  probable  that  he  wondered  as  we  have  often 
done,  that  St.  Patrick,  while  engaged  in  the  laudable 
task  of  expelling  snakes  from  the  soil  of  the  Emerald 
l&le,  did  not  also  provide  that  such  reptiles  should 
keep  out  of  the  boots  of  her  sons. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

VISIONS   OF  THE   FUTURE. 

The  big  uncle  and  the  little  nephew. — Exchange  of  ideas  between 
the  eccentric  Henry  Glazier  and  young  Willard. — Inseparable 
companions.  —  Willard's  early  reading.  —  Favorite  authors. 
— Hero-worship  of  the  first  Napoleon  and  Charles  XII.  of 
Sweden. — The  genius  of  good  and  of  evil. — Allen  Wight. — A 
born  teacher. — Reverses  of  fortune. — The  shadow  on  the  home. 
— Willard's  resolve  to  seek  his  fortune  and  what  came  of 
it. — The  sleep  under  the  trees. — The  prodigal's  return. — "All's 
well  that  ends  well." 

BETWEEN  Henry   Glazier  and   young   Willard 
a   singular    friendship    had    sprung    up.      The 
great,  six-foot  uncle  and  the  quaint,  old-fashioned  boy 
were  much  together. 

In  the  woods  and  fields,  at  junketings  and  corn- 
huskings,  the  pair  were  often  seen  in  grave  converse, 
and  while  Willard  was  ever  eager  to  hear  the  stories 
of  his  uncle's  mad  adventures  and  queer  scrapes, 
Henry  Glazier,  in  turn,  would  listen  with  a  species  of 
reverent  wonder  to  the  child's  recital  of  striking 
passages  of  history  or  of  fiction  which  he  had  picked  up 
in  the  course  of  a  varied  and  desultory  reading — a 
taste  for  which  was  developed  even  at  that  early 
age.  The  volumes  to  which  he  had  access  were  few* 
in  number,  but  he  had  read  their  pages  again  and 
again,  and  the  subjects  of  which  they  treated  were,  for 
the  most  part,  of  just  such  a  character  as  were  calculated 
(58) 


ALLEN   WIGHT.  59 

to  attract  the  attention  of  a  man  of  action  rather  than 
of  thought. 

Among  them  were  "Rollin's  Ancient  History," 
"  Robinson  Crusoe,"  "The  Arabian  Nights,"  "Life  of 
Charles  XII.  of  Sweden,"  "  Kossuth  and  his  Generals," 
and  "  Napoleon  and  his  Marshals," —  everything 
relating  to  the  career  of  the  great  Corsican  being 
devoured  with  the  greatest  avidity. 

He  began,  of  course,  by  reading  the  descriptions  of 
battles.  All  boys  do  so.  But  gradually  his  interest 
in  such  exciting  events  extended  to  the  actors  in  them, 
and  again  to  the  causes  that  led  to  them,  and  at  length 
the  books  were  read  from  the  preface  to  the  end. 

The  conversations  between  the  uncle  and  nephew 
were  far  from  exercising  a  good  influence  over  the  boy. 
If  Willard  related  some  daring  deed  from  the  life  of 
Charles  XII.  or  of  the  great  Napoleon — his  own 
especial  hero — his  uncle  Henry  would  match  it  with 
some  equally  striking,  if  less  civilized  adventure  in  the 
forest  or  upon  the  river,  in  which  he  or  some  of  his 
whilom  associates  had  played  the  principal  part.  All 
this  was,  to  a  certain  extent,  calculated  to  unsettle 
the  lad's  mind  for  the  common,  routine  duties  of  a 
useful  existence.  Fortunately,  however,  at  about  the 
time  that  it  began  to  produce  that  effect,  another  opposite 
and  more  powerful  influence  was  brought  to  bear  upon 
him  which  changed  the  current  of  his  ambition,  and 
turned  his  attention  to  matters  less  exciting  in  their 
character,  but  destined  to  exert  a  much  greater 
influence  over  his  future  life.  I  allude  to  his  associ- 
ation with  his  teacher,  Allen  Wight. 

The  small,  plain  brick  school-house  at  Little  York 
stands  there,  we  believe,  to-day  as  it  did  then  in  all 
6 


60  SWORD  AND  PLX. 

its  native  and  naked  ugliness.  Such  a  structure, 
looking  at  it  aesthetically,  is  not  a  cheerful  sight  to  the 
lover  of  learning,  but  at  that  period  it  was  under  the 
mastership  of  a  mind  of  no  ordinary  calibre.  From 
all  that  we  can  learn  of  him,  Allen  Wight  was  that 
remarkable  character — a  born  educator.  He  did  not 
believe  his  duty  was  performed  by  merely  drilling  his 
pupils,  parrot-like,  to  repeat  other  men's  sentiments. 
He  knew  that  the  minds  of  mortals,  particularly  if 
young  and  fresh,  are  as  diverse  in  their  springs  of  action 
as  the  laws  of  the  universe,  and  he  conceived  it  to  be 
his  duty  to  study  the  individual  characteristics  of  each 
scholar  under  his  charge,  as  he  would  have  familiarized 
himself  with  the  notes  of  a  piece  of  music  before  he 
attempted  to  play  it.  His  method  was  that  of  the 
Jesuit,  carried  out  in  a  Protestant  fashion.  In  young 
Glazier  he  took  especial  interest.  He  liked  the  sturdy 
little  fellow  who,  though  full  of  youthful  vim,  could 
yet  sit  down  and  discuss  the  difference  between  a 
Macedonian  phalanx  as  described  by  Rollin  and  a 
corps  d'armee  as  manoeuvred  by  Soult,  and  he 
determined  if  possible — to  use  his  own  phraseology — 
"  to  make  a  man  of  him." 

His  first  step  was  to  lead  the  boy's  mind  up  to  a 
habit  of  reasoning  upon  the  present  and  the  past,  and 
upon  the  every  day  world  of  practical  realities  with 
which  he  had  to  do.  When  this  habit  had  become 
sufficiently  matured  in  him,  the  wise  teacher  told  him 
the  story  of  his  own  life,  with  its  struggles,  its  disap- 
pointments and  its  triumphs,  thinking  thus  to  stimulate 
his  favorite  pupil  to  greater  efforts  and  better  achieve- 
ments in  the  path  of  knowledge.  He  talked  to  young 
Willard  as  he  would  have  talked  to  a  man,  yet  with 


SHADOWS  OiV  THE  HOMESTEAD.  Gl 

all  the  gentleness  of  manner  he  would  have  used  in 
addressing  a  woman.  Every  incentive  which  he  could 
place  before  the  boy,  every  appeal  to  both  heart  and 
brain  which  he  could  make,  Allen  Wight  used — as  the 
mechanic  would  use  the  lever — to  bring  out  all  that 
was  noblest  and  best  in  him — to  develop  all  the 
sleeping  possibilities  of  his  young  nature. 

Ward  Glazier  had  not  been  as  prosperous  in  his 
worldly  affairs  as  his  patriotism  and  honesty  deserved, 
and  things  at  the  old  "  Homestead  "  looked  rather 
gloomy.  Poverty  is  a  fearful  darkener  of  child-life, 
and  while  its  shadow  rarely  fell  on  Willard,  who  was 
always  at  school  or  roving  the  woods  and  fields  with 
his  uncle  Henry,  to  his  sisters  and  brothers  it 
frequently  presented  its  dark  face  and  whispered  un- 
pleasant prophesies  of  the  future. 

Of  course  it  was  not  that  abject  kind  of  poverty 
which  stints  the  supply  of  food  and  fire  in  a  house. 
It  did  not  still  the  prattle  of  the  children,  or  banisli 
childish  mirth  from  the  dwelling.  It  was  not  the 
wolf  at  the  door,  but  the  wolf  in  the  dim  possible 
distance  when  the  poor  father,  bent  with  age,  would 
perhaps  be  unable  to  keep  his  little  flock  together. 
But  the  boy  had  never  thought  of  such  a  possible 
time.  His  visions  of  the  future  were  of  sights  to  be 
seen  in  the  great  world — of  a  time  when  he  would  be 
large  enough  and  free  enough  to  accompany  his  uncle 
Henry  upon  someof  his  wild  ad  ventures  among  civilized 
or  savage  races,  and  of  the  delights  of  unlimited  books 
to  be  read  upon  subjects  most  congenial  to  his  mind. 
He  therefore  made  no  allowance  for  his  father's  gloomy 
face  and  short  words,  and  often  thought  him  stern 
wh«u  he  was  only  sad. 


62  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

A  slight  incident,  however,  changed  all  this  and 
compelled  him  to  face  life  not  as  a  dream  but  as  a 
reality.  One  evening  Willard's  father  came  home  very 
tired  and  somewhat  dispirited  by  some  adverse 
circumstances,  such  as  occur  in  every  man's  business 
life  at  times,  and  of  course  he  was  not  in  the  most 
pleasant  frame  of  mind  to  encounter  the  petty  an- 
noyances of  a  household.  Something  that  Willard 
said  or  did,  capped  the  climax  of  his  irritability  and 
he  called  the  boy  a  fool.  It  was  a  very  unusual  thing 
for  Ward  Glazier  to  speak  with  even  apparent  harsh- 
ness to  his  children,  and  the  lad  felt  it,  therefore,  all 
the  more  keenly.  He  became  very  thoughtful  and 
silent,  and  crept  off  to  bed  earlier  than  usual  only  to 
lay  awake  most  of  the  night  brooding  over  the  insult, 
and  debating  within  himself  what  to  do  in  order  to 
vindicate  his  outraged  dignity.  The  conclusion  at 
which  he  finally  arrived  was  that  when  the  morning 
came,  he  would  run  away  from  home  and  seek  his 
fortune  in  the  great  world.  The  fact  is  he  had  been 
reading" Robinson  Crusoe"but  a  day  or  two-  previous, 
and  that  charming  story  had  made  a  great  impression 
on  his  mind.  Under  its  weird  influence  his  vivid 
imagination  conjured  up  possible  scenes  of  adventure 
in  which  he  was  to  emulate  the  courage  and  sagacity 
of  that  celebrated  truant,  and  eventually  come  home, 
as  Robinson  did,  a  man  full  of  knowledge  with  which 
to  astonish  the  family,  and  with  wealth  to  lavish  on 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  make  comfortable  the 
declining  years  of  his  parents.  "Then  his  father 
would  not  think  him  a  fool,"  said  this  youthful  logician 
to  himself.  His  active  little  brain  was  too  highly 
stimulated  by  his  great  resolve  to  permit  much  sleep 


SEEKS  HIS  FORTUNE.  63 

that  night,  and  his  bosom  swelled  proudly  as  he  thought 
how  bravely  he  would  encounter  misfortune  and  face 
danger  for  the  sake  of  the  glorious  future  he  saw  in 
the  distance.  His  boyish  heart  thrilled  strangely 
within  him  as  he  pictured  to  himself  how  full  of 
amazement  his  brothers  and  sisters  would  be,  when 
they  found  he  had  gone  forth  all  alone  to  seek  his 
fortune.  Even  the  little  sleep,  therefore,  that  he 
obtained,  was  but  a  dreamy  repetition  of  his  waking 
thoughts,  and  when  the  first  gray  streak  of  dawn  told 
of  the  coming  day,  the  boy  arose  and  quietly  dressing 
himself  for  his  journey,  emerged  from  the  house, 
passed  down  the  avenue  under  the  broad  elms  and 
struck  the  highway.  He  shivered  a  little  as  the  chill 
air  of  morning  touched  his  cheek,  and  his  ambitious 
dream  did  not  look  quite  so  glowing  and  glorious  as  it 
had  done  when  snugly  ensconced  in  his  comfortable 
bed,  but  still  he  had  a  consciousness  that  he  was  doing 
something  very  manly,  and  he  walked  on  with  a  firm 
step  and  determined  heart. 

It  is  true  he  had  no  very  definite  idea  of  where  he 
was  going, — he  only  thought  of  doing  great  things  and 
seeing  strange  sights.  His  whole  plan  of  travel  was 
comprehended  in  the  one  idea  of  going  out  into  the 
world.  That  was  all.  Accordingly  the  youth  trudged 
on  for  miles  without  weariness, — for  his  head  was  still 
thronged  wi£h  thick  coming  fancies  of  the  possible 
future  that  lay  before  him,  and  for  some  time  the 
exulting  sense  of  freedom  that  ever  accompanies 
disenthralment  of  any  kind,  thrilled  his  whole  being 
with  a  firm  resolution  to  accomplish  great  things. 

At  the  expiration  of  a  few  hours,  however,  the  fatigue 
involved  in  so  unusual  a  tramp  before  breakfast,  began 


G4  BWOED  AND  PEN. 

to  tell  upon  him,  and  as  he  mechanically  slackened  his 
pace,  his  reflections  assumed  a  less  jubilant  and  less 
satisfactory  charactsr.  He  had  walked  nearly  fourteen 
miles  and  was  already  footsore.  "  Going  out  into  the 
world,"  began  to  seem  not  quite  so  enchanting  a 
proceeding  as  it  had  appeared  to  be  at  starting.  For 
the  first  time  since  the  idea  of  "seeking  his  fortune" 
had  entered  his  mind,  he  asked  himself  where  he  was 
to  seek  it. 

The  reply  to  this  inquiry  was  not  easy.  Meanwhile 
the  sun  had  mounted  high  up  in  the  heavens  and  was 
shining  brightly,  the  birds  were  singing  their  matin 
songs,  and  in  the  roadside  pastures  the  cattle  were 
quietly  grazing.  It  was  a  peaceful,  pastoral  scene,  but 
its  peace  did  not  enter  the  heart  of  the  wanderer. 
Somehow  the  world  did  not  appear  half  so  attractive 
in  his  eyes  as  it  had  looked  when  he  stole  forth  from 
his  father's  gate  in  the  cold  gray  of  the  morning 
twilight.  His  step,  therefore,  was  less  elastic  and  his 
bearing  less  assured  now  than  then,  and  at  length  he 
sat  down  under  a  large  beech-tree  by  the  roadside,  to 
reflect  upon  the  situation.  He  began  to  feel  very 
weary,  and  the  sudden  transition  from  action  to  repose 
induced  a  drowsiness  that  in  a  few  minutes  overcame 
his  waking  sense  and  launched  him  into  the  sea  of 
forgetful  ness.  The  young  head  sank  lower  and  lower 
on  his  breast,  and  finally,  sleep  .  .  .  "that  knits  up 
the  ravelled  sleeve  of  care,"  ..."  sore  labor's  bath, 
balm  of  hurt  minds,  great  Nature's  second  course," 
came  to  him  unawares,  and  for  some  hours  he  was 
totally  oblivious  of  all  surroundings. 

It  was  a  dreamless  sleep,  and  noon  had  come  when 
he  awoke.  For  a  few  moments  he  was  unable  to 


WISE  REFLECTIONS.  G5 

recall  where  he  was  or  how  he  had  come  there,  but  in 
a  very  short  time  the  recollection  of  everything  that 
had  happened  to  him  since  the  evening  before  swept 
over  his  mind  like  a  flood.  Every  circumstance  now, 
however,  was  viewed  in  a  far  different  light.  Somehow, 
the  provocation  which  had  sent  him  into  the  wide 
world  to  seek  his  fortune  did  not  seem  half  so  great  as 
it  had  seemed  only  the  night  before.  The  example  of 
De  Foe's  hero  was  not  so  completely  alluring,  and  a 
portion  of  that  history  which  the  evening  previous  he 
had  not  deemed  worthy  of  a  thought,  now  rose  vividly 
before  him.  He  seemed  to  read  again  these  words : 

"  My  father,  a  grave,  wise  man,  gave  me  serious  and 
excellent  counsel  against  what  he  saw  was  my  design. 
He  told  me  it  was  for  men  of  desperate  fortunes  on  the 
one  hand,  or  of  aspiring  superior  fortunes  on  the  other, 
who  went  abroad  upon  adventures,  to  rise  by  enterprise 
and  make  themselves  famous  in  undertakings  of  a 
nature  out  of  the  common  road  :  that  these  things  were 
all  either  too  far  above  me,  or  too  far  below  me :  that 
mine  was  the  middle  state  or  what  might  be  called  the 
upper  station  of  humble  life,  which  he  had  found  by 
long  experience  was  the  best  state  in  the  world,  the 
most  suited  to  human  happiness.  The  wise  man  gave 
his  testimony  to  this  when  he  prayed  to  have  '  neither 
poverty  nor  riches.'"  And  then  came  the  thought 
that  all  that  Robinson  ever  gained  in  fame  or  fortune, 
failed  to  still  the  quiet  but  terrible  whisper  of  his  con- 
science whenever  he  thought  of  those  he  had  abandoned 
for  a  roving  life.  So  intently  did  he  think  upon  these 
things,  he  seemed  actually  to  behold  the  wanderer  upon 
his  sea-girt  island  with  lawless  Will  Atkins  and  the 
gentle  French  priest  beside  him,  while  the  words  of  the 


66  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

repentant  mutineer  seemed  to  be  hissed  into  his  ear : — 
"  No,  sir,  I  did  not  cut  his  throat,  but  I  cut  the  throat 
of  all  his  comforts.  I  shortened  his  days  and  I  broke 
his  heart  by  the  most  ungrateful,  unnatural  return,  for 
the  most  tender  and  affectionate  treatment  that  father 
ever  gave  or  child  could  receive."  Young  Willard 
could  not  but  remember  that  his  parents  had  been 
most  kind  and  tender,  that  his  father  had  lavished 
upon  him  during  all  the  years  of  his  childhood  a  most 
prodigal  wealth  of  affection  :  and  the  one  harsh  epithet 
he  had  received  seemed  as  nothing  among  the  multitude 
of  kind  and  loving  words  that  had  never  been  withheld 
from  him.  His  heart  told  him  that  something  deeper 
than  any  ordinary  woe  would  darken  his  mother's 
quiet  face  when  she  beheld  his  empty  chair  and  realized 
that  he  had  gone,  perhaps  never  to  return,  without  one 
farewell  word  to  her.  Such  reflections  as  these,  that 
he  wondered  had  not  occurred  to  him  before,  now  took 
possession  of  his  mind  and,  impelled  by  their  influence, 
he  arose  and  slowly  started  back  towards  home.  As 
he  came  within  sight  of  the  old  place  he  saw  his 
father  in  the  distance  reaping,  and  the  sight  filled  him 
with  gladness. 

"  From  the  top  of  the  road,  through  the  gap  was  seen 

Down  a  zigzag  road  cut  up  by  rills, 
The  velvet  valley  cradled  between 

Dark  double  ridges  of  '  elm '  clad  hills ; 
And  just  beyond,  on  the  sunniest  elope, 

With  its  windows  aglint  in  the  sunset  warm, 
In  the  spot  where  he  first  knew  life  and  hope, 

Was  the  dear  old  house  of  the  '  Homestead '  farm." 

But  he  was  not  just  then  in  a  frame  of  mind  to 
meet  the  parental  eye,  and  he  therefore  skirted  round 
a  piece  of  woods  which  concealed  him  from  his  father's 


REMORSE.  67 

view  and  reaching  the  door  unobserved,  crept  into  the 
house. 

Though  his  absence  had  been  discovered,  and  its 
cause,  if  not  known,  at  least  shrewdly  suspected,  his 
father  and  mother  in  their  reception  of  him  very 
wisely  ignored  all  knowledge  of  his  truancy  and  treated 
the  young  prodigal  with  such  unusual  marks  of  kind- 
ness and  indulgence,  that  he  was  completely  melted, 
and  felt,  with  keen  remorse,  that  he  had  been  upon 
the  eve  of  becoming  a  most  wretched  ingrate.  The 
lesson  of  the  experiment  was  not  lost  upon  him,  and 
he  never  again  tried  the  foolish  venture. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

WJLLARD   GLAZIER   AT    HOME. 

Out  of  boyhood. — Days  of  adolescence. — True  family  pride. — 
Schemes  for  the  future. — Willard  as  a  temperance  advocate. — 
Watering  his  grandfather's  whiskey. — The  pump  behind  the  hill. 
The  sfeigh  ride  by  night.: — The  "shakedown"  at  Edwards. — 
— Intoxicated  by  tobacco  fumes. — The  return  ride. — Landed  in  a 
snow-Dank. — Good-bye  horses  and  sleigh ! — Plodding  through  the 
snow. 

WARD  GLAZIER— putting  his  theories  to  the 
test  of  practice — believed  it  best  to  allow  the 
error  of  his  son  to  work  out  its  own  punishment,  with- 
out adding  a  word  to  indicate  that  he  knew  it  had  been 
committed.  The  wisdom  of  such  reticence  is  not  often 
recognized  by  parents  placed  in  similar  circumstances, 
but  it  would  perhaps  be  better  for  the  children  if  it 
were.  At  the  same-  time  the  father  thought  it  expe- 
dient to  apprise  Allen  Wight  of  the  matter.  That 
gentleman  readily  acquiescing  in  his  plans,  saw  in  the 
recoil  which  would  probably  succeed  such  an  escapade 
in  the  mind  of  a  sensitive  and  generous  boy,  the  op- 
portunity he  sought  to  arouse  him  to  a  sense  of  the 
duties  that  lay  before  him  in  his  future  career,  in' 
living  a  useful  and  worthy  life. 

One  afternoon,  therefore,  when  they  were  enjoying  a 

quiet  chat  after  school  hours,  he    managed — without 

the  slightest  allusion    to  the  runaway  freak — to  turn 

the  conversation  to  the  subject  of  "self-made  men.'* 

(68) 


SELF-MADE  MEN.  69 

Not,  be  it  understood,  that  species  of  fungi  who  only 
love  their  maker,  because  being 

"  Self-ma.de,  se(/"-trained,  se//-satisfied," 

they  are 

"  Themselves  their  only  daily  boast  and  pride." 

Not  the  Randall  Leslies,  or  the  Peter  Firkins  of  the 
world  or  that  other 

"  Score  of  Peter  Funks, 

Of  the  mock-raining  stamp,  who  deal  in  chunks 
Of  confidence,  ores  and  metals  as  examples 
And  sell  the  bowels  of  the  earth  by  samples;" 

but  that  higher  race  who  have  achieved  noble  things 
despite  all  the  drawbacks  of  poverty  and  friendlessness. 

He  spoke  of  Clive,  the  Shropshire  farmer's  son, 
who,  according  to  the  greatest  of  modern  historians, 
equalled  Lucullus  in  war  and  Tergot  in  peace;  that 
reformer  who  out  of  the  discordant  elements  of  an  Indian 
ochlocracy  consolidated  and  perfected  an  empire,  one 
of  the  most  splendid  the  world  contains. 

He  spoke,  too,  of  that  other  Indian  ruler  who  as 
he  lay  dreaming  a  boy's  day-dream  one  holiday,  upon 
the  bank  of  a  stream  that  flowed  through  Daylesford 
Manor — the  manor  which  one  ancestor's  sword  had 
won  and  another  ancestor's  folly  had  lost — the  boy 
formed  a  scheme  of  life  that  culminated  in  the  exten- 
sion of  the  same  empire  beyond  all  previous  expecta- 
tion, and  in  linking  his  own  name  so  inseparably  with 
the  story  of  his  country,  that  no  man  can  write  the 
history  of  England  without  writing  the  life  of 
Warren  Hastings. 

Other  examples  of  great  ends  achieved  with  little 
means,  by  men  in  our  own  land,  were  talked  over. 

Franklin  the  boy,  walking  up  Market  street,  Phila- 


70  SWORD  AND  PEX. 

delphia,  a  penny-roll  under  each  arm  and  munching  n 
third,  under  the  laughing  observation  of  Miss  Read, 
his  future  wife — and  Franklin  the  sage  and  Minister, 

O  9 

representing  his  government  at  the  most  elegant  court 
in  Europe,  were  contrasted  for  his  edification.  Various 
modern  instances  were  added,  Mr.  Wight  keeping  in 
view  Pope's  axiom  that 

"  Men  must  be  taught  as  if  you  taught  them  not, 
And  things  unknown  proposed  as  things  forgot." 

When  the  boy's  mind  had  been  sufficiently  awakened 
he  followed  the  advice  of  the  old  adage  to  "  strike 
while  the  iron  is  hot,"  and  impressed  upon  him  the  fact 
that  being  the  eldest  son  he  was  naturally  the  prop  of  his 
house;  nor  did  he  ignore  the  truth,  unpalatable  as  it 
might  be,  that  Willard  could  hope  for  no  material  aid 
from  the  hands  of  his  parents.  He  must  carve  his 
own  way.  He  must  build  even  the  ladder  up  which 
he  was  to  climb.  Others  had  done  so — wily  not  he? 
And  then  he  told  him  that  the  way  to  do  it  successfully 
was  to  acquire  knowledge  and  cultivate  wisdom ;  for 

"  Knowledge  and  wisdom,  far  from  being  one, 
Have,  oft  times,  no  connection. 
Knowledge  dwells  in  the  thoughts  of  other  men, 
Wisdom  in  minds  attentive  to  their  own." 

Working  upon  what  he  rightly  conjectured  to  be  the 
boy's  newly  awakened  sense  of  the  kindness  of  his 
father,  he  spoke  of  that  good  man's  pecuniary  reverses, 
and  professed  his  faith  in  Willard  as  the  future  regen- 
erator of  the  fallen  fortunes  of  Ward  Glazier's  family. 

The  boy's  generous  enthusiasm  was  awakened  at 
once.  His  ordinary  school  tasks  and  home  duties  no 
longer  looked  commonplace,  and  were  no  longer  dis- 


THE  DHSS1TY  OF  DUTY.  ~\ 

tasteful  to  him.  They  were  but  incideuts  in  a  general 
plan  of  usefulness,  and  he  performed  them  with  an  air 
of  cheerfulness  that  pleased  his  teacher  and  delighted 
his  parents.  He  volunteered  to  help  his  father  in  the 
fields,  and  while  but  a  boy  in  years,  he  yet  performed 
the  work  of  a  man.  In  fact,  he  had  discovered  that 
every  duty  of  life  has  its  heroic  side,  and  needs  only 
the  impulse  of  high  and  noble  motives  to  be  invested 
with  dignity  and  interest. 

Meanwhile,  he  did  not  neglect  his  studies.  The 
idea  of  intellectual  culture  was  no  longer  a  mere  ab- 
straction. Books  were  not  only  what  they  always  had 
been — reservoirs  of  knowledge,  alluring  to  his  imag- 
ination, and  fascinating  to  his  mind — but  they  were 
now  looked  upon  as  levers,  with  which  lie  was  to  move 
the  world.  Knowledge  now  meant  the  means  whereby, 
in  the  days  to  come,  he  was  to  acquire  the  power  to 
make  his  father  and  mother  comfortable  for  the  balance 
of  their  lives:  and  to  surround  his  sisters  with 
those  luxuries  which  go  far  towards  making  exist- 
ence a  thing  of  grace  and  refinement.  When, 
therefore,  he  worked  during  the  warm  days  of 
summer,  aiding  his  father  in  the  care  of  the  farm,  the 
summer  evenings  found  him  poring  earnestly  over 
his  books — practical  and  useful  ones  now — and  the 
harvest  once  gathered,  he  was  back  again  in  his  old 
place  at  school,  where  he  studied  steadily  and  hard. 
His  teacher,  Allen  Wight,  looked  on  and  was  satisfied. 
And  yet  Willard  was  a  wild  boy — as  wild  as  any  in 
the  school.  His  relish  for  fun  and  frolic  was  as  keen 
as  ever,  but  it  was  now  subordinated  to  his  judgment. 
His  practical  jokes  were  fewer,  and  the  peculiarities 
of  his  father  no  longer  furnished  him  with  a  subject 


72  SWORD  AND  PEX. 

for  their  perpetration.  Now  and  then,  however,  the 
old  exuberance  of  mischief  would  break  out,  and  upon 
one  occasion  his  grandfather  became  its  victim. 

As  that  mosaic  styled  "character"  is  nothing  more 
than  an  aggregate  of  just  such  trivial  things,  we  trust 
our  readers  will  pardon  us  if  we  relate  the  incident  in 
point. 

When  Willard  was  over  nine  years  of  age,  his 
father  moved  from  the  Old  Homestead  and  purchased 
a  place  named  the  Goodrich  Farm,  where  he  opened 
a  country  store.  The  venture  proved  to  be  an  un- 
fortunate one,  and,  after  a  series  of  pecuniary  vicis- 
situdes, he  left  it,  and,  at  the  period  to  which  we  refer, 
was  the  occupant  of  a  farm  known  in  that  section  as 
the  Davis  Place. 

This  farm  and  the  Glazier  Homestead  occupied 
positions  upon  opposite  sides  of  the  same  public  road — 
the  former  being  one  mile  nearer  the  town  of  Fullers- 
ville. 

Meantime,  the  Homestead  was  occupied  and  cul- 
tivated by  Jabez  Glazier,  the  grandfather  of  Wil- 
lard, and  upon  certain  occasions  the  boy  was  sent 
over  to  stay  for  a  few  days  at  that  place,  to  help  the 
old  gentleman  in  many  little  ways  connected  with  its 
cultivation. 

At  that  time  and  in  that  locality  it  was  customary 
during  the  haying  season  to  deal  out  to  the  men  em- 
ployed stated  rations  of  whiskey  every  day.  A  bottle 
was  filled  for  each  one,  and,  being  placed  by  the  re- 
cipient in  a  swathe  of  the  newly-cut  grass,  frequent 
visits  were  made  to  the  spot  and  frequent  libations 
indulged  in.  Ward  Glazier  and  his  wife  being  deter- 
minedly opposed  to  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  under  any 


WATER    VERSUS  "OLD  RYE."  73 

circumstances  whatever,  the  custom  wi.s  dispensed  with 
ut  the  Davis  Place;  but  at  the  Old  Homestead, 
under  the  rule  of  Jabez  Glazier,  the  time-honored 
usage  was  staunchly  maintained.  Young  Willard  had 
been  so  deeply  inoculated  with  his  parents'  opinions  on 
this  subject,  that  he  had  delivered  an  address  before 
the  society  of  "  Sons  of  Temperance  "  at  Fullersville 
even  at  that  early  age,  and  his  disgust  may  be  imag- 
ined when  he  found  himself  selected  by  his  grandfather 
to  go  to  the  village  tavern  for  the  necessary  quantity  of 
"  Old  Rye."  He  asked  that  some  other  messenger 
might  be  sent,  but  the  old  gentleman  was  inflexible. 
Nobody  but  Willard  would  satisfy  his  whim — perhaps 
because  he  felt  that,  in  the  custody  of  his  grandson, 
the  "fire-water"  would  not  be  tampered  with  on  its 
return  to  the  farm.  Willard  did  not  openly  rebel 
against  his  grandfather's  commands — since  it  was  the 
fashion  in  those  days  for  children  to  be  obedient — but 
turned  his  attention  to  gaining  his  object  by  means  of 
a  little  strategy.  Not  far  from  the  house  on  the  road 
leading  to  the  store  stood  an  old  pump,  concealed  from 
view  by  an  intervening  building  and  a  rising  hill. 
Here  this  youthful  disciple  of  Father  Mathew  made 
it  a  practice  regularly  to  stop,  and  pouring  out  half 
the  contents  of  the  jug  he  carried,  refilled  it  with  the 
crystal  liquid  from  the  pump. 

At  first  this  improvement  in  their  potations  seemed 
hardly  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  individuals  in- 
terested ;  but,  as  each  day  the  proportion  of  water 
increased,  the  dilution  at  last  forced  itself  upon  their 
attention,  and  every  one  agreed  that  the  tavern-keeper 
was  cheating  Jabez  in  the  "Rye"  business.  The 
result  of  it  all  was  the  withdrawal  of  Jabez  Glazier's 


74  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

custom  from  the  establishment  in  question,  and  the 
future  purchase  of  "spiritual"  goods  by  Mr.  Jabez 
himself  in  person. 

Thus  Willard's  object  was  attained,  and  the  cold- 
water  people  were  no  longer  vexed  by  the  inconsistent 
spectacle  of  a  son  of  temperance  playing  Ganymede  to 
a  set  of  drinking,  though  by  DO  means  drunken, 
hay-makers. 

Not  often,  now,  did  young  Willard  figure  as  chief 
in  any  mad  scrape  or  wild  boyish  adventure.  Those 
times  were  left  behind.  Once,  indeed,  his  uncle 
Henry,  the  patron  of  the  great  chief  " Kaw-shaw-gan- 
ce,"  swooped  down  upon  the  household,  and,  in  an 
enormous  four-horse  sleigh  of  his  own  construction, 
took  him,  together  with  a  gay  and  festive  party  of  lads 
and  lasses,  off  to  Edwards,  a  village  nine  miles  away. 
Here  the  rustic  party  had  a  "shake-down,"  and  young 
Willard  got  fearfully  sick  in  a  dense  atmosphere  of 
tobacco  smoke.  The  feast  over,  he  was  tightly  packed 
in  the  sleigh  with  the  buxom  country  girls  and  their 
muscular  attendants,  while  Henry  Glazier  drove  across 
country  through  a  blinding  snow-storm  and  over 
measureless  drifts.  The  party  was  stranded  at  last 
on  a  rail  fence  under  the  snow,  and  the  living  freight 
flung  bodily  forth  and  buried  in  the  deep  drifts.  They 
emerged  from  their  snowy  baptism  with  many  a  laugh 
and  scream  and  shout,  and  tramped  the  remainder  of 
the  distance  home.  The  horses  having  made  good 
their  escape,  Willard  was  carried  forward  ou  his  uncle 
Henry's  back. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ADVENTURES — EQUINE  AND   BOVINE. 

VVai-d  Glazier  moves  to  the  Davis  Place. — "  Far  in  the  lan«  r 
lonely  house  he  found." — Who  was  Davis? — Description  of  the 
place. — A  wild  spot  for  a  home. — Willard  at  work. — Adventure 
with  an  ox-team. — The  road,  the  bridge  and  the  stream. — "As  an 
ox  thirsteth  for  the  water." — Dashed  from  a  precipice  ! — Wil- 
lard as  a  horse-tamer. — "Chestnut  Bess,"  the  blooded  mare. — 
The  start  for  home. — "  Bess  "on  the  rampage. — A  lightning  dash. 
— The  stooping  arch. — Bruised  and  unconscious. 

IT  will  be  remembered  that  when  Ward  Glazier  left 
the  Homestead,  he  removed  to  a  neighboring 
farm  known  as  the  Goodrich  Place, — a  fine,  com- 
fortable, well-stocked  and  well-tilled  farm,  present- 
ing an  appearance  of  prosperity  to  the  eye  of  the 
observer  and  calculated  to  make  the  impression  that  its 
owner  must  be  well-to-do  in  the  world.  As  we  have 
heretofore  hinted,  however,  Ward  Glazier  failed  to 
prosper  there.  Why  this  was  the  case  it  is  hard  to  tell. 
A  late  writer  has  suggested  that "  not  only  the  higher  in- 
tellectual gifts  but  even  the  finer  moral  emotions  are  an 
incurabrance  to  the  fortune-hunter."  That  "a  gentle 
disposition  and  extreme  frankness  and  generosity  have 
been  the  ruin  in  a  worldly  sense  of  many  a  noble 
spirit ; "  and  he  adds  that  "  there  is  a  degree  of 
cautiousness  and  distrust  and  a  certain  insensibility 
and  sternness  that  seem  essential  to  a  man  who  has  to 
bustle  through  the  world  and  engineer  his  own  affairs," 
c  (75) 


76  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

— and  if  he  be  right,  the  matter  may  be  easily 
understood. 

However  that  may  be,  lie  failed  to  prosper,  and  as 
business  misfortunes  began  to  fall  thick  and  fast  upon 
his  head,  he  gave  up  the  farm  to  his  creditors,  together 
with  all  his  other  effects,  and  took  up  his  abode  at 
the  Davis  Place. 

Who  the  particular  Davis  was  whose  name  clung  to 
the  place  we  have  been  unable  to  ascertain,  but  when 
Ward  Glazier  moved  there,  the  house  seemed  fairly  to 
scowl  upon  the  passer-by — so  utterly  unprepossessing 
was  its  appearance.  A  rude,  capacious  wooden  structure, 
it  stood  fronting  the  highway,  and  was  a  place  where 
the  beautiful  had  no  existence.  The  very  soil  looked 
black  and  rough — the  vegetation  ragged.  Every 
inclosure  was  of  stone  or  knotted  timber,  and  even  a 
dove-cot  which  in  its  fresher  days  some  hand  had 
placed  upon  the  lawn,  was  now  roofless  and  shattered, 
and  lay  prone  upon  the  ground,  a  shapeless  mass  of 
collapsed  boards.  The  lawn — if  such  it  could  be 
named— resembled  a  bleak  shore,  blackened*  with 
stranded  wrecks  of  ships  whose  passengers  had  long 
years  before  gone  down  at  sea.  The  broken  windows 
iu  the  dormitories  were  festooned  with  cobwebs  that 
had  housed  long  lines  of  ancestral  spiders,  and  where 
a  pane  or  two  of  glass  remained  among  the  many 
empty  frames,  one  fancied  a  gibbering  spectre  might 
look  out  from  the  gloomy  depths  behind. 

The  back-ground  against  which  this  bleak  and 
sombre  place  was  thrown  was  no  less  grim  and  stern. 
Huge  rocks  in  tiers,  like  stone  coffins,  rose  in  fierce 
ranges  one  above  another  up  and  up — back  and  far- 
ther back  until  they  reached  a  point  from  whence  a 


THE  DAVIS  PLACE.  77 

miniature  forest  of  dwarf  beech  and  maples,  that 
appeared  to  crown  the  topmost  bastion  of  them  all, 
nodded  in  the  swaying  wind  like  funeral  plumes  upon 
a  Titan's  hearse. 

In  fact,  the  only  gleam  of  light  upon  the  place — 
and  it  was  a  crazy,  fitful  gleam  at  that — came  from  a 
rushing  stream  that  took  its  source  high  up  among  the 
hills.  This  brook  first  seen  off  to  the  extreme  left  of 
the  house,  came  dashing  down  the  rocks  until  it 
reached  a  level.  Then,  swinging  round  with  sudden 
swirl  it  engirdled  the  place,  and  after  many  a  curious 
twist  and  turn  got  straight  again  and  went  onward  far 
off  among  the  neighboring  fields  and  lost  itself  at  last 
in  the  Oswegatchie.  The  interior  of  the  house  was 
just  as  wild  and  dreary  as  the  exterior.  The  rooms, 
for  the  most  part,  were  too  large  for  comfort.  When 
one  spoke,  a  dozen  ghostly  echoes  answered,  and  at 
twilight  the  smaller  children  huddled  around  the 
kitchen  fire  and  seldom  went  beyond  that  cheerful  room 
until  bed  time.  Often,  in  the  dead  of  night,  the 
creaking  of  timber  and  the  voices  of  the  wind  startled 
the  little  ones  from  sleep,  and  a  sense  of  something: 
unreal  and  mysterious  overshadowed  their  young 
minds. 

It  was,  take  it  all  in  all,  a  grim,  gaunt,  strange  place 
in  which  to  fix  a  home.  It  was  there,  however,  in  the 
midst  of  such  sterile  surroundings,  that  the  next  five 
years  of  Willard's  life  were  mainly  passed.  There 
were  no  external  influences  brought  to  bear  upoir  this 
portion  of  his  existence  that  were  not  harsh  and  wild 
and  stern.  His  father,  honest  even  to  the  verge  of 
fanaticism,  was  letting  his  heart  corrode  to  bitterness 
under  the  sense  of  hopeless  indebtedness.  The  churlish 


78  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

fields  attached  to  the  place  offered  but  a  grudging  re- 
ward for  the  hardest  labor.  There  was  no  hope  of  his 
acquiring  a  profession  or  even  an  education  beyond  the 
scant  opportunity  of  Allen  Wight's  school,  unless  he 
himself  could  earn  the  means  to  pay  for  it.  Still  he 
was  neither  discouraged  nor  without  hope.  Instead  of 
sinking  under  this  accumulation  of  difficulties,  his 
moral  fibre  was  rendered  more  robust,  and  with  it  his 
physical  strength  and  usefulness  developed  daily. 

Thus  a  year  sped  on,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  his 
father,  as  one  means  of  adding  something  to  his  scanty 
resources,  obtained  the  job  of  hauling  a  quantity  of  iron 
ore  from  the  ore  beds  near  Little  York  to  a  forge  and 
furnace  at  Fullersville.  Willard  with  an  ox-team  and 
his  uncle  Henry  with  a  span  of  fine  horses,  were 
employed  for  the  most  part  to  do  the  actual  hauling. 

By  this  time  Willard  was  quite  familiar  with  the 
management  of  horses,  and  he  had  also  learned  to  drive 
oxen,  so  that  at  the  age  of  thirteen  he  worked  with  his 
ox-team  as  regularly  and  almost  as  efficiently  as  any 
of  his  grown-up  uncles  or  even  his  father.  The  man- 
agement of  an  ox-team,  by  the  way,  is  quite 'different 
from  that  of  horses,  and  at  times  it  becomes  very  trouble- 
some business,  requiring  for  its  successful  accomplish- 
ment the  very  nicest  admixture  of  courage,  coolness  and 
discretion.  Willard,  however,  with  the  self-reliance  that 
always  characterizes  a  boy  of  his  age,  never  for  a  moment 
doubted  that  he  was  adequate  to  the  task,  and  as  he 
had  been  placed  in  charge  of  a  very  fine  yoke  of  oxen, 
took  much  pride  in  driving  them  in  the  same  manner 
as  he  would  have  driven  a  span  of  horses,  seated 
on  the  top  of  his  load  upon  the  wagon  instead  of  being 
on  foot  and  close  by  their  heads,  as  prudence  would 


ECCENTRICITIES  OF  AN  OX-TEAM.  79 

have  taught  an  older  driver  to  do.  The  truth  is,  that 
if  there  was  any  human  being  before  whom  the  boy  de- 
lighted to  exhibit  himself  as  doing  a  manly  part  in  his 
little  circle  of  existence,  that  being  was  Henry  Glazier. 

Consequently,  when  his  uncle's  team  was  on  the 
road,  Master  Willard  took  a  position  upon  his  own 
load  with  as  important  an  air  as  if  he  were  on  the  box 
of  a  coach-and-four,  and  guided  his  cattle  as  if  they 
were  animals  of  the  most  docile  disposition,  to  halt  at 
his  whisper  or  proceed  at  his  word.  As  the  principal 
part  of  the  work  was  performed  at  midsummer  under 
the  rays  of  a  scorching  sun,  the  cattle  were,  of  course, 
irritable  and  restive  to  a  degree  that  in  colder  weather 
would  have  seemed  inconsistent  with  the  phlegmatic 
characteristics  of  their  race. 

The  road  from  Little  York  to  Fullersville  is  a 
winding,  narrow  road,  somewhat  hilly  in  places,  and 
neither  very  smooth  nor  level  at  any  point.  Midway 
between  the  two  villages  a  brawling  stream  crosses  the 
road,  and  making  a  turn  empties  itself,  at  the  distance 
of  about  thirty  yards,  into  the  waters  of  the  Oswegat- 
chie.  This  stream  is  spanned  by  a  rustic  bridge  at  a 
very  considerable  elevation  above  the  water.  The 
banks  are  high  and  abrupt,  and,  as  the  traveler  ap- 
proaches them,  he  cannot  fail  to  be  attracted  by  the 
silvery  sparkle  of  the  waters  far  below.  The  view 
from  the  bridge  takes  in  the  white  farm-houses  with 
their  emerald  setting  of  rich  grain-fields  and  meadow- 
lands,  the  distant  forge  with  its  belching  smoke-stacks, 
the  winding  Oswegatchie,  and  the  distant  blue  hills. 
If  the  month  happens  to  be  August,  the  traveler  may 
hear  the  cheerful  hum  of  busy  industry,  the  swinging 
cradles  of  the  harvesters  or  the  steady  roll  of  the 


80  SWORD  AXD  PEN. 

reaper.  Upon  a  day,  late  in  this  richest  of  summer 
months — August  —  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1854, 
Willard  and  his  uncle  Henry  were  slowly  wending 
their  way  towards  Fullersville — the  former  with  his 
ox-team  and  the  latter  with  a  spanking  span  of 
horses.  The  beasts  of  burden  by  their  drooping  heads 
and  slow  pace  evinced  the  fact  that  the  loads  of 
ore  they  were  drawing  were  unusually  heavy,  and 
this,  combined  with  the  sultry  atmosphere,  was  telling 
upon  the  strength  of  even  such  powerful  beasts  as 
they. 

Willard,  as  usual,  was  seated  upon  the  top  of  his 
load,  and,  as  they  neared  the  bridge,  despite  his 
familiarity  with  every  detail  of  the  scene,  a  sense  of  its 
exquisite  beauty  took  possession  of  him,  and,  for  a 
moment,  he  forgot  that  he  was  driving  an  ox-team. 
For  a  moment  he  was  oblivious  to  the  fact  that  it 
takes  all  a  driver's  care  and  skill  to  prevent  mischief 
whenever  a  thirsty  ox  obtains  a  glimpse  of  water  upon 
a  summer's  day.  As  they  neared  the  bridge,  the 
fevered  eyes  of  the  cattle  caught  sight  of  the  limpid 
stream  away  down  below,  and,  just  as  a  cry  of  warn- 
ing from  his  uncle  recalled  the  boy  to  a  sense  of  the 
deadly  peril  of  his  position,  the  cattle  made  an  oblique 
plunge  over  the  edge  of  the  bank  with  two  tons  of 
iron-ore  in  lumps  varying  from  five  pounds  to  fifty, 
pouring  a  huge  and  deadly  hail  over  their  reckless 
heads.  With  rare  presence  of  mind  for  a  boy  of  his 
age,  the  instant  he  heard  his  uncle's  warning  cry, 
Willard  realized  the  situation  and  jumped  sideways 
from  the  wagon.  As  he  did  so,  his  hat  fell  off*  and 
rolled  a  short  distance  away.  At  the  same  moment  a 
Jump  of  ore,  weighing  not  less  than  one-hundred  pounds, 


TRAGIC    EXPERIENCE    WITH   AN   OX-TEAM. 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE  81 

fell  upon  it  and  crushed  it  so  deeply  into  the  ground 
that  it  was  completely  hidden  from  view.  Many  months 
afterwards,  some  boys  digging  for  fish-bait  found  the 
hat  buried  there,  and  returned  to  the  village  with 
a  tale  of  some  possible  and  unknown  murder,  com- 
mitted when  or  by  whom  no  one  could  tell. 

As  for  the  boy  himself,  he  escaped  with  only  a 
scratch  or  two  and  a  few  bruises,  but  that  he  escaped 
with  his  life  or  with  sound  limbs  was  almost  a  miracle; 
and,  as  his  big-hearted  uncle  picked  him  up,  he  hugged 
the  lad  as  one  snatched  from  the  very  jaws  of  death. 
Willard  was  somewhat  awed  by  the  narrowness  of  his 
escape,  and  it  was  observed  that  his  face  wore  an  ex- 
pression a  shade  graver  than  was  its  wont  for  several 
days  after  the  occurrence. 

The  lesson,  however,  made  no  lasting  impression. 
Scarce  a  week  had  gone  by  ere  his  life  was  once  more 
imperilled,  and  this  time  the  danger  resulted  from  his 
own  reckless  over-confidence  in  himself. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  in  the  boy's  history  that  every 
danger  to  which  at  this  period  of  his  life  he  was 
exposed,  seems  to  have  been  twin-brother  to  some 
other  hazard  equally  great,  and  which  tripped  upon 
its  very  heels. 

As  already  stated,  Willard  was  a  good  horseman  for 
a  boy  of  his  age.  He  possessed  considerable  nerve, 
and,  having  been  brought  up  among  horses,  knew  a 
good  deal  about  their  ways.  But  his  real  knowledge 
upon  the  subject  was  nothing  to  that  which  he  thought 
he  possessed ;  and,  though  a  stout  little  fellow,  of 
course  he  lacked  the  muscle  of  steel  that  is  required 
to  master  an  enraged  horse.  But  he  had  never  hesi- 
tated to  ride  any  steed  in  all  that  neighborhood,  with 


82  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

the  single  exception  of  one  of  a  pair  of  extremely 
beautiful  but  vicious  mares,  which  on  account  of  her 
color  was  named  "  Chestnut  Bess." 

This  horse  was  as  wild  and  untamed  as  the  fa- 
mous steed  of  Mazeppa,  and  even  Henry  Glazier, 
master-horseman  though  he  was,  seldom  attempted  to 
use  this  one,  except  in  harness  with  her  mate.  .  The 
knowledge  of  this  fact  excited  an  overweening  desire 
in  Willard's  breast  to  show  them  what  he  could  do  in 
the  way  of  taming  the  hitherto  untamed  creature,  and 
never  having  been  unhorsed  in  his  life,  he  determined, 
upon  the  first  favorable  opportunity,  to  try  his  powers 
upon  the  vicious  animal.  That  opportunity  was  not 
long  in  coming.  One  summer  morning  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  Willard  should  go  over  to  his  grandfather's 
and  aid  in  the  cultivation  of  a  large  corn-field  on 
the  Homestead  Farm.  Willard  made  up  his  mind 
that,  if  he  went,  he  would  go  in  style  on  the 
back  of  "  Chestnut  Bess."  He  wanted  to  show  his 
Uncle  Henry  and  the  others  what  the  "  little  runt" 
was  capable  of  accomplishing  as  an  equestrian.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  placed  a  good  strong  bridle  upon  the 
mare's  head,  gave  an  extra  pull  at  the  saddle-girth  to 
assure  himself  there  was  no  possibility  of  that  failing 
him,  and,  taking  a  hoe,  which  he  wished  to  use  in  his 
work  on  the  farm,  in  his  right  hand,  he  led  the  mare 
quietly  down  the  path,  out  through  the  gate,  and  into 
the  road.  Gathering  the  reins  in  his  left  hand,  with- 
out giving  her  time  to  conjecture  his  object — for 
mounting  her  was  no  easy  task — he  jumped  lightly 
into  the  saddle,  and  screwed  his  knees  into  her  sides 
with  all  his  might. 

Now,   this   mare  was   not  one  of  those  ordinary 


"  CHESTNUT  BESS."  83 

quadrupeds  possessing  a  single  vice,  which  the  rider 
may  learn  and  master.  She  was  an  animal  of  infinite 
resources.  Her  modes  of  attack  were  innumerable. 
It  is  true  she  rather  preferred  to  settle  matters  upon 
the  very  threshold  of  the  contest  in  a  short,  sharp 
way,  by  kicking  her  man  before  he  could  mount. 
But,  if  baffled  in  this  design,  she  would  vary  the  pro- 
ceedings by  dashing  her  head  down  between  her  knees, 
sending  her  heels  up  in  the  air,  and,  if  possible,  plunge 
the  rider  over  her  head  to  the  ground  ;  or,  she  would 
waltz  round  on  her  hind  legs  in  such  a  way  as  to 
render  tke  best  balanced  brain  somewhat  dizzy  and 
uncertain ;  in  the  event  of  the  failure  of  these  coquet- 
tish pleasantries,  she  had  not  a  single  scruple  against 
playing  Shylock,  and  taking  her  pound  of  flesh  out  of 
his  leg  with  her  teeth.  Thus,  you  see,  it  would  not 
do  to  go  to  sleep  upon  her  back ;  and  Master  Willard 
Glazier  no  sooner  found  himself  firmly  seated  than  he 
made  up  his  mind  that  for  the  time,  at  least,  he  had 
his  hands  full  of  business.  As  the  mare  had  been 
deprived  of  an  opportunity  to  kick  him,  by  the  sud- 
denness with  which  he  sprang  upon  her  back,  she 
concluded  to  try  her  next  favorite  line  of  strategy  and 
shake  him  off.  So  down  went  her  head  and  up  went 
her  heels,  and,  had  he  been  less  on  the  alert,  he  must 
have  gone  to  earth ;  but,  with  his  knees  dug  into  her 
sides  as  if  they  were  the  opposite  jaws  of  a  vice,  for 
every  jerk  of  her  head  down  he  gave  one  with  the 
reins  up,  and  at  each  jerk  the  hoe-handle  gave  her  a 
rap  over  the  ears,  so  that  she  began  to  find  the  fun 
less  agreeable  than  usual.  Changing  her  tactics,  with 
a  bound  she  proceeded  to  execute  a  fine  imitation  of 
the  "German,"  and  spin  round  like  a  Fifth  Avenue 


84  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

belle  or  a  humming-top.  But  the  boy's  young,  clear, 
temperate  brain  and  well-disciplined  nerves  were 
proof  even  against  this  style  of  attack,  and  still  firm  in 
his  seat,  he  belabored  the  brute  with  his  hoe  with  such 
a  perfect  rain  of  blows  that  she  gave  up  her  prancing 
and  dashed  down  the  road  at  a  break-neck  pace.  For 
perhaps  five  hundred  yards  the  road  led  down  hill, 
and  then,  crossing  a  stream,  ascended  again,  the  ascent 
being  quite  steep  and  by  no  means  smooth. 

While  upon  the  descent,  it  was  all  Willard  could  do 
to  hold  on,  for  he  was  encumbered  with  the  hoc, 
which  at  every  jump  of  the  mare  struck  the  top  of  her 
head,  until  she  absolutely  flew.  The  few  pedestrians 
upon  the  road  that  morning  stopped  in  amazement  to 
stare  after  the  mad  flight  of  horse  and  rider. 

As  soon  as  the  bridge  was  crossed  and  they  com- 
menced the  abrupt  rise,  "Chestnut  Bess"  began  to 
slacken  her  pace,  but  the  young  gentleman,  who  by 
this  time  considered  himself  her  master,  would  not 
agree  to  this.  He  proposed  to  give  her  a  lesson,  so  he 
administered  a  good  thrashing  with  his  novel  style  of 
whip  and  compelled  her  to  keep  her  pace  all  the 
way  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  horse  and  rider  at 
length  arrived  in  safety.  From  that  point  to  the  Old 
Homestead  the  mare  was  perfectly  willing  to  jog 
along  quietly,  and  when  they  reached  the  farm  you 
may  be  sure  that  the  "  spirit "  of  one  "  mortal "  at 
least  was  "  proud,"  as  he  related  to  his  wondering 
kinsman  how  he  had  taken  the  mischief  out  of  the 
chestnut  mare. 

The  boy  rose  immeasurably  in  his  uncle  Henry's 
estimation  by  this  feat,  and  all  were  delighted  with  his 
pluck,  though  Jabez  Glazier,  his  grandfather,  with  his 


HORSE-TAMING.  85 

greater  experience,  warned  him  not  to  trust  the  beast 
too  far,  for,  according  to  his  belief,  her  eye  had  danger 
in  it  yet.  When  the  day  of  work  was  ended,  Willard 
once  more  mounted  upon  "  Chestnut  Bess "  and  rode 
towards  home.  For  a  short  time  the  mare  trotted 
quietly  along,  and  the  boy  was  more  than  ever 
convinced  that  he  had  broken  her  of  her  tricks. 

This  agreeable  belief  however  was  of  short  duration. 
The  thought  had  hardly  entered  his  head  when  she 
commenced  her  antics  again.  Her  heels  went  sky- 
ward and  her  nose  went  down,  and  a  repetition  of  the 
morning's  performances  succeeded. 

There  was  quite  as  much  vigor  and  pertinacity  in  her 
movements  as  if  she  were  just  starting  out  for  the  day. 
This  time  Willard  had  provided  himself  with  a  stout 
beech  switch,  and  used  its  stinging  persuasion  with  good 
effect.  She  danced,  she  pranced,  she  waltzed,  she 
made  sudden  dashes  and  full  stops.  She  would  have 
rolled  in  the  gravel  if  the  boy's  switch'  had  ceased 
stinging  her  into  motives  for  action,  but  she  could 
not  shake  him  off,  He  clung  to  her  back  like  a 
little  leech,  and  it  began  to  look  as  if  human  will- 
power was  going  to  conquer  brute  stubbornness,  when 
suddenly  a  new  idea  seemed  to  enter  the  animal's  head. 
Without  a  moment's  warning,  and  utterly  scorning 
the  control  of  the  bit  which  she  had  taken  in  her 
teeth,  she  swung  round  and  at  full  gallop  made 
straight  for  the  Homestead  farm  from  which  she 
had  so  lately  come.  The  farm-yard  gate  was  wide 
open  and  she  dashed  in,  making  directly  for  the 
wagon-shed  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  place,  which  was 
now  empty.  This  shed,  the  top  of  which  was  sup- 
ported by  a  cross-beam,  was  only  just  high  enough  to 


86  &WORD  AND  PEN. 

permit  a  wagon  to  be  sheltered  there,  and  if  the  horse 
got  in,  Willard  saw  at  a  glance  that  she  would  be 
obliged  to  lower  her  head  to  do  so,  and  that  in  the 
course  of  her  entry  he  must  inevitably  strike  the  beam 
and  perhaps  be  instantly  killed  or  swept  off  her  back 
upon  a  pile  of  rocks  that  on  either  side  walled  the  en- 
trance to  the  shed. 

His  heart  for  once  failed  him,  for  there  seemed  no 
earthly  hope  of  escape.  There  was  no  time  to  spring 
off,  even  if  the  speed  at  which  he  was  going  would  have 
permitted  him  to  do  so,  for  in  a  shorter  time  than  it 
has  taken  to  describe  the  scene,  the  shed  was  reached, 
bang  went  the  mare's  head  against  the  opposite  end, 
and  at  the  same  instant  Willard  felt  a  dull  thud 
against  his  person,  realized  the  fact  that  he  was  l>eing 
thrown  into  the  air,  and  then  came  darkness  and  un- 
consciousness. He  was  dashed  violently  uj  en  the 
stones,  and  when  picked  up  his  body  was  found  to  l>e 
much  lacerated  and  bruised. 

Fortunately,  however,  no  bones  were  broken,  though 
he  was  obliged  to  keep  his  bed  for  some  days  after- 
wards. No  doubt  while  lying  there  during  slow  con- 
valescence he  mused  upon  the  vicissitudes  attendant 
upon  the  career  of  a  horse-tamer.  At  all  events  from 
this  time  he  became  much  steadier  and  more  prudent, 
— the  wild  adventures  of  his  earlier  boyhood  having 
entirely  lost  their  attraction  for  him. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    YOUNG    TRAPPER   OF   THE    OSWEQATCHIE. 

A  plan  of  life. — Determination  to  procure  an  education. — A  sub- 
ftitutt  at  the  plow. — His  father  acquiesces  in  his  determination 
to  become  a  trapper. — Life  in  the  wild  woods  along  the  Oswegat- 
cine. — The  six  "dead-falls."— First  success. — A  fallacious  calcu- 
lation.— The  goal  attained. — Seventy-five  dollars  in  hard  cash  ! — 
Four  terms  of  academic  life. — The  youthful  rivals. — Lessons  in 
elocution. — A  fight  with  hair-brushes  and  chairs! — "The  walk- 
ing ghost  of  a  kitchen  fire.1' — Renewed  friendship. — Teaching 
to  obtain  means  for  an  education. 

A  T  this  period  of  Willard's  life,  he  is  described  by 
.L\.  Mr.  Rennehan  as  having  acquired  an  appetite 
for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  which  soon  became 
the  controlling  passion  of  his  nature,  and,  "thoroughly 
absorbed  by  this  idea,  he  fixed  upon  the  select  school 
of  his  native  town  as  the  institution  best  adapted  to 
initiate  him  in  the  course  suited  to  the  fulfilment  of 
his  laudable  ambition." 

But  his  determination  to  procure  an  education 
met  .with  obstacles  from  the  outset.  How  to  defray 
the  necessary  expenses  which  such  a  course  involved 
was  the  question  which  continually  presented  itself  for 
his  ingenuity  to  solve.  His  father's  reverses  placed  it 
quite  beyond  the  possibilities  to  hire  help  upon  the 
farm,  and  Willard's  services  had  therefore  come  to  be 
looked  upon  as  something  of  vital  importance. 

In  dragging  from  the  hard  soil  of  the  Davis  place 

(87) 


88  8 WORD  AND  PEN. 

the  living  which  necessity  compelled,  lie  performed  the 
work  of  a  man,  and  the  perfect  trust  which  his  father 
reposed  in  him  gave  his  services  additional  value. 

This  fact  increased  the  difficulty  of  his  position ; 
but  though  he  made  it  a  point  to  husband  all  his  spare 
time  for  self-instruction,  he  was  far  from  satisfied  with 
the  existing  state  of  affairs,  and  pondered  long  and 
earnestly  over  the  best  means  of  securing  the  advan- 
tages of  regular  instruction. 

At  that  time  the  streams  tributary  to  the  St.  Law- 
rence were  supplied  with  such  fur-bearing  animals  as 
the  mink,  the  musk-rat,  the  otter,  and  the  more  hum- 
ble rabbit,  the  skins  of  all  of  which  were  more  or 
less  valuable  and  were  hunted  by  professional  trappers. 
These  men  found  the  .business  a  reasonably  lucrative 
one,  and  it  commended  itself  especially  to  Willard, 
as  health  and  strength  were  the  only  capital  required. 
The  grand  difficulty  was  how  to  supply  his  place  in 
the  work  of  the  farm.  His  father  was  a  man  who 
always  listened  with  patience  and  sympathy  to  any 
scheme  that  promised  to  benefit  his  children.  His 
son,  therefore,  had  no  hesitation  in  laying  the  whole 
matter  before  him  and  seeking  his  advice  upon  the 
subject.  He  felt,  of  course,  that  any  proposal  to 
withdraw  his  personal  labor  from  the  common  stock 
of  exertion  by  which  the  cultivation  of  the  farm  was 
rendered  a  possibility,  was  a  direct  pecuniary  tax  upon 
his  father's  resources ;  but  he  believed  he  could  to  a 
great  extent  neutralize  the  injury  by  supplying  a  sub- 
stitute. 

He  also  felt  assured  that  although  the  step  he  pro- 
posed to  take  might  be  a  present  loss  to  the  family  it 
would  prove  an  ultimate  gain.  He  was  thoroughly 


THE   YOUNG   TRAPPER.  89 

determined  to  make  his  life  a  success,  and  he  was  just  as 
thoroughly  determined  that  any  success  which  might 
crown  his  efforts  should  be  shared  by  his  parents.  It 
is  true  that  the  road  looked  long  and  the  path  rough, 
but  he  had  a  "  heart  for  any  fate,"  and  his  courage 
never  failed.  A  substitute  at  the  plow  he  knew  he 
could  obtain  for  a  small  sum,  and  the  board  of  such 
a  person  would  take  the  place  of  his  own  at  the  home 
table,  and  he  never  doubted  that  he  could  earn  a  suffi- 
cient surplus  to  pay  the  wages  of  such  an  assistant. 
At  all  events  he  made  up  his  mind  to  try  the  experi- 
ment. 

With  young  Willard,  to  think  was  to  act,  and  this 
project  was  no  sooner  conceived  than  he  proceeded  to 
put  it  into  execution.  He  laid  his  plans  frankly  be- 
fore his  father,  who,  to  his  great  gratification, 
assented  to  his  proposal.  A  man  was  hired  for 
fifteen  dollars  a  month  to  take  Willard's  place  on 
the  farm,  and  the  latter  made  his  first  venture  as  a 
trapper. 

His  initial  experiment  was  to  set  six  traps  of  the 
pattern  called  a  "dead-fall"  or  "  figure  of  four,"  and 
this  resulted  in  the  capture  of  two  minks  worth  about 
eight  dollars.  With  what  an  exultant  heart  he  drew 
out  his  first  mink  and  realized  that  by  his  own  un- 
aided exertions  he  had  made  some  money,  no  boy  or 
man  need  be  told.  He  at  once,  however,  entered  into 
some  rather  fallacious  calculations  and  built  some  ex* 
tremely  airy  castles.  It  occurred  to  him  that  if  out  of 
six  traps  he  could  obtain  two  skins,  out  of  one  hun- 
dred he  could  obtain  twenty-three,  and  so  on,  in 
proportion. 

This,  however,  proved  to  be  a  miscalculation,  it  no* 
7 


90  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

being  so  much  the  number  of  traps  set,  as  the  quantity 
of  game  in  a  given  locality  which  regulates  the  amount 
of  success  for  a  trapper.  Yet  his  efforts  in  this  new 
business  succeeded  to  a  gratifying  degree,  and  the 
fact  of  having  exchanged  the  dull  monotony  of  farm 
drudgery  for  the  exhilarating  excitement  of  a  hunter's 
life,  was  in  itself  a  sufficient  reward  for  any  amount  of 
exertion.  Indeed  what  mode  of  life  could  be  happier 
or  more  free,  for  a  healthy,  strong-limbed  youth  of 
fifteen,  than  to  live  as  he  then  did,  almost  entirely  in 
the  woods?  Then  too,  his  daily  route  lay  in  the 
midst  of  some  of  the  finest  scenery  to  be  found  any- 
where in  New  York,  even  in  that  grand  old  county  of 
St.  Lawrence. 

To  a  lover  of  nature  nothing  could  be  more  alluring 
than  the  locality  through  which  Willard,  at  that  period 
of  his  life,  trapped  and  hunted.  To  follow  the  wind- 
ing waters  of  the  Oswegatchie  is  to  enjoy  a  perpetual 
feast.  That  river  is  one  of  a  great  family  of  rivers, 
among  which  may  be  enumerated  the  Rackett,  the 
Grasse,  the  Indian,  and  the  Black,  all  of  which  take 
their  rise  far  up  in  the  recesses  of  the  great  North 
Woods.  Though  not  to  any  extent  navigable,  it  is 
yet  nearly  as  broad  as  the  lovely  and  "  blue  Juniata  " 
of"  peaceful  Pennsylvania." 

At  times  turbulent  and  brawling,  it  is  often  vexed 
in  its  passage  to  the  St.  Lawrence  by  falls  and  cataracts 
yarying  in  height  and  volume,  but  which  in  their  in- 
finite variety  give  a  wild  and  romantic  beauty  to  this 
poetical  stream.  At  times  it  glides  smoothly  along 
through  low  meadow  lands,  and  again  it  plunges  into 
some  dense  thicket  or  brawls  through  some  briery  dell 
where  the  foliage  is  so  thick  that  one  can  only  see  the 


THE  YOUNG  TRAPPER  OF  THE  OSWEGATCHIE. 


THE  FRUITS  OF  PERSEVERANCE.  91 

glint  and  glisten  of  its  waters  at  rare  intervals,  shining 
between  the  lapping  leaves  and  tangled  vines.  Then 
again  it  sweeps  onward  through  cleft  rocks  and  jutting 
banks  until,  lost  at  last  in  the  very  heart  of  the  prime- 
val forest,  its  twilight  waters  reflect  the  images  of 
giant  trees  which  had  their  beginning  on  its  banks  a 
century  ago. 

Willard's  life  during  that  autumn  passed  in  perse- 
vering work.  Day  by  day  he  traveled  his  accustomed 
routes,  while  the  leaves  turned  from  green  to  red  and 
from  red  to  russet  and  brown,  and  at  last  fell  from  the 
naked  branches  of  the  forest  trees  with  a  little  farewell 
rustle,  to  be  trodden  into  the  rich  soil  below. 

By  the  time  the  first  snow  came  he  found  himself 
much  more  robust  physically,  and  with  seventy-five 
dollars  clear  profit  in  his  pocket.  In  addition  to  these 
advantages  he  also  acquired  the  inestimable  habit  of 
self-reliance,  so  that  when  he  entered  upon  a  course  of 
preparation  for  his  academic  life,  it  was  with  full  faith 
in  himself.  For  four  terms,  beginning  August  thir- 
teenth, 1857,  and  ending  the  latter  part  of  June,  1859, 
he  remained  at  the  excellent  institution  of  learning 
which  he  had  selected,  and  while  there  gained  con- 
siderable credit  as  a  hard  student. 

During  the  first  of  these  terms  a  generous  rivalry  ex- 
isted between  himself  and  a  youth  by  the  name  of  Albert 
Burt,  as  to  which  should  lead  the  class.  As  it  turned 
out,  however,  they  kept  together  and  were  both  marked 
"perfect."  The  academy  was  under  the  management 
of  the  Rev.  E.  C.  Bruce,  M.  A.,  Principal ;  and 
Andrew  Roe,  Professor  of  Mathematics.  About  a 
month  or  six  weeks  after  he  entered  the  school,  he  ar- 
ranged to  take  lessons  in  elocution  under  a  Professor 


92  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Bronson,  that  gentleman  having  organized  a  large  class 
at  the  academy. 

In  a  brief  diary  kept  by  him  at  the  time,  we  find  th'1 
remark  that  he  was  "  greatly  pleased  with  the  Profes- 
sor's method  of  teaching  that  important  branch  of 
study."  Willard  had  advanced  to  the  higher  grade 
of  Algebra  and  Grammar,  had  added  Philosophy  to 
the  list  of  his  studies,  and  having  cultivated  a 
natural  turn  for  public  speaking,  he  was  elected  on 
the  eighteenth  of  December,  1857,  a  member  of  the 
Oratorical  Society — an  association  connected  with  the 
institution.  His  boy  experiences  were  very  similar 
to  those  which  happen  to  all  lads  in  academic  life. 
He  had  his  chums,  among  whom  were  Bray  ton 
Abbott  and  Ozias  Johnson ;  he  had  his  little  flirta- 
tions with  misses  of  his  own  age,  and  he  had  his 
fights,  as  all  boys  have. 

Among  the  latter  was  one  with  Johnson,  who  was 
his  room-mate,  and  who,  being  four  years  older  than 
himself,  undertook,  for  fun,  to  rub  his  face  with  a 
newly-purchased  hair-brush.  This  kind  of  fun  did  not 
suit  Willard,  however,  and  he  resented  it  by  giving 
Johnson  a  "dig"  in  the  ribs.  Whereupon  a  fight 
ensued  in  earnest,  and  as  Willard  was  too  young  and 
light  to  keep  up  the  contest  at  close  quarters,  he  dodged 
his  adversary  and  covered  his  retreat  by  dropping 
chairs  in  front  of  Johnson's  legs,  which  brought  that 
young  gentleman  to  the  floor  more  than  once,  to  his 
own  intense  disgust  and  Willard's  great  gratification. 
At  length  Johnson  managed  to  corner  his  opponent, 
and  then  rubbed  his  face  so  thoroughly  with  the  bris- 
tles that  his  comrades  that  morning  thought  he  had 


THE  TEACHERS   INSTITUTE.  93 

caugh*  the  scarlet-fever,  or  as  Dickens  says,  that  he 
was  th.9  "  walking  ghost  of  a  kitchen  fire." 

As  generally  happens,  however,  between  two  manly 
fellows,  their  combat  inspired  a  feeling  of  mutual  re- 
spect, and  from  being  mere  acquaintances  they  grew 
to  be  fast  friends. 

Study  and  sedentary  habits  at  length  so  much  im- 
paired Willard's  health  that,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
month  of  August,  1858,  he  was  compelled  to  cease  his 
attendant*  at  school  and  go  home.  The  thirtieth  of 
September  following,  however,  found  him  at  the 
Teachers'  Institute  of  St.  Lawrence  County,  with  the 
proceedings  of  which  body  he  appears  to  have 
been  highly  gratified,  for  in  the  diary  to  which  we 
have  already  referred  he  speaks  of  it  in  these 
words, — 

"  I  am  now  attending  the  Teachers'  Institute  of  this 
county,  which  is  in  session  at  Gouverneur,  it  having 
opened  upon  the  twenty-seventh  instant.  The  School 
Commissioners  are  Mr.  C.  C.  Church  and  Allen 
Wight.  I  am  highly  pleased  with  the  proceedings 
and  the  method  of  conducting  the  exercises  of  this 
apparently  indispensable  part  of  a  Teacher's  instruc- 
tion,"— adding  that  it  was  his  "  intention  to  become  a 
teacher  the  coming  winter."  Indeed,  to  be  a  teacher 
seems  to  have  been  his  favorite  scheme  of  life,  and  his 
highest  ambition  was  ultimately  to  fill  the  chair  of 
Mathematics  in  one  of  the  great  institutions  of  learn- 
ing. That  most  exact  of  sciences  was  his  favorite 
branch  of  study,  and  the  intellectual  stimulus  which 
it  imparts  had  for  him  a  peculiar  fascination. 

In  pursuance  of  his  object,  and  in  order,  by  teaching 
during  one  part  of  the  year,  to  raise  means  to  enable 


94  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

him  to  attend  school  during  another  portion,  he  set 
about  procuring  for  himself  a  school.  Fortunately 
for  the  accomplishment  of  his  object,  it  was  suggested 
to  him  to  apply  to  the  School  Commissioner  of  his  own 
Assembly  district,  and  he  did  so.  The  examination 
which  followed  his  application,  owing  to  some  local 
rivalry,  was  extremely  rigid ;  but  he  passed  through 
it  with  great  credit  and  received  the  appointment  he 
desired,  being  assigned  forthwith  to  duty  in  the  town 
of  Edwards,  St.  Lawrence  County.  He  commenced 
teaching  in  the  bleak  month  of  Novemtar,  1858,  and 
was  very  earnest  in  fulfilling  the  duties  of  his  position, 
taking  every  opportunity  not  only  of  instilling  knowl- 
edge into  the  minds  of  his  pupils,  but  also  striving  to 
imbue  them  with  a  love  of  self-culture.  He  labored 
hard  in  his  efforts  to  earn  means  with  which  to  sup- 
port himself  during  the  coming  summer  at  the  Gou- 
verneur  Wesleyan  Seminary,  and  discovered  while  thus 
working  that  teaching  was  as  much  of  a  discipline  for 
himself  as  for  his  pupils. 

The  time  does  not  seem  to  have  passed  unpleasantly 
to  him  at  this  period  of  his  career,  for  in  an  entry  made 
in  his  diary  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  November,  1858, 
he  says : 

"I  am  spending  the  evening  with  Mr.  Hiram  Har- 
ris and  family,  having  come  into  the  district  this  after- 
noon. My  object  here  is  to  teach  school  for  a  term 
of  three  months  in  fulfilment  of  the  contract  existing 
between  the  trustees  and  myself.  In  compliance  with 
a  custom  that  prevails,  I  am  expected  to  4  board 
around/  as  it  is  styled,  and  Mr.  Harris,  being  one  of 
the  Trustees,  has  invited  me  to  spend  my  first  week  at 
his  house. 


A   TIME  AND  PLACE  FOR  EVERYTHING.      95 

"The  School  Commissioner  of  this  Assembly  district 
is  Mr.  C.  C.  Church,  of  Potsdam,  from  whom  I  re- 
ceived a  certificate  based  upon  the  recommendation  of 
Commissioner  Allen  Wight  of  the  first  district.  The 
School  Trustees  are  E.  L.  Beardsley,  Hiram  Harris, 
and  Jeptha  Clark.  The  present  terra  will  be  my  first 
experience  in  the  profession  I  have  adopted.  I  do 
hope  it  will  prove  a  useful  one,  for  I  am  of  opinion 
that  a  teacher's  first  experience  is  apt  to  give  color  to 
his  whole  future  career."  The  day  after  this  entry  he 
adds  that  "  only  a  small  attendance  greeted  me  upon 
opening  my  school,"  and  after  consoling  himself  with 
the  reflection  that  this  will  leave  him  plenty  of  time 
for  study,  he  adopted  a  single  rule — "Do  right;"  and 
an  additional  motto,  "A  time  and  place  for  everything 
and  everything  in  its  time  and  place." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  had  already  acquired  a 
clear  idea  of  the  importance  of  order  in  every  pursuit, 
and  knew  that  method  gives  to  an  ordinary  mortal 
Briserean  arms  with  which  to  accomplish  whatever  he 
may  desire  to  do.  How  few  attain  to  this  knowl- 
edge until  it  is  too  late  ! 

As  a  writer,  whose  words  we  think  worthy  of  remem- 
brance, has  said : 

"  This  is  an  era  of  doing  things  scientifically.  People 
make  scientific  calculations  of  the  weather,  and  the 
average  number  of  murders  for  the  next  year.  They 
measure  the  stars  and  they  measure  the  affections,  both 
scientifically.  The  only  thing  they  fail  to  do  scien- 
tifically is,  to  manage  themselves.  As  a  rule,  they 
drift,  and  then  find  fault  with  fate  and  Providence  be- 
cause they  don't  drift  into  the  right  port.  They  drift 
inio  life  with  a  multiplicity  of  vague  dreams,  which 


96  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

are  somehow  to  be  realized ;  but  they  have  a  very  dim 
idea  of  ways  and  means.  They  drift  through  it,  care- 
lessly, with  an  inadequate  knowledge  of  their  own 
resources,  and  a  still  more  inadequate  notion  of  using 
them  to  the  best  advantage;  they  drift  out  of  it  with  a 
melancholy  sense  of  failure,  both  absolutely  as  to  them- 
selves and  relatively  as  to  the  world.  Of  all  their 
splendid  possibilities,  none  are  realized.  Nothing  is 
completed.  They  start  wrong  or  they  make  one  fatal 
step,  and  everything  goes  wrong  all  the  way  through. 
It  seems  as  if  most  lives  were  only  experiments.  Now 
and  then  one  is  turned  out  which  fits  in  its  niche  and 
is  tolerably  symmetrical.  The  rest  are  all  awry,  un- 
finished, misplaced,  and  merely  faint  suggestions  of 
what  might  have  been.  Much  of  this  is  doubtless  be- 
yond mortal  control,  but  a  far  greater  portion  is  due 
to  the  lack  of  a  nice  direction  of  forces.  The  human 
mechanism  is  complicated,  and  a  very  slight  flaw  sets 
it  all  wrong.  There  may  be  too  much  steam  or  too 
much  friction,  or  too  little  power  or  too  little  balance. 
But  clearly  the  first  step  is  to  strengthen  the  weak 
points,  to  gauge  its  capabilities,  to  set  it  running 
smoothly,  and  to  give  it  a  definite  aim.  If  existence 
were  simply  passive  and  the  mission  of  man  was  to  be 
instead  of  to  do,  he  might  perhaps  be  left  to  develop 
as  the  trees  do,  according  to  his  own  will  or  fancy  or 
according  to  certain  natural  laws.  But  as  it  is  the  uni- 
versal wish  wherever  one  is,  to  be  somewhere  else,  a 
little  higher  in  the  scale,  it  seems  to  be  a  part  of  wis- 
dom, as  well  as  humanity,  to  fit  one  for  climbing.  But 
many  an  aspirant  finds  his  wings  clipped  in  the  begin- 
ning of  his  career,  through  the  ignorance  or  careless- 
ness of  his  friends,  who  never  took  the  trouble  of 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  LIFE.  97 

measuring  his  capabilities.  He  is  treated  as  a  recep- 
tacle into  which  a  certain  amount  of  ideas  are  to  be 
poured,  no  matter  whether  they  may  answer  to  any- 
thing within  him  or  not.  He  is  turned  out  of  an 
educational  mill  with  five  hundred  others,  and  with 
plenty  of  loose  knowledge,  but  without  the  remotest 
idea  of  what  to  do  with  it,  or  what  nature  intended  him 
for,  and  with  no  especial  fitness  for  any  one  thing.  He 
can  think,  probably,  if  he  has  the  requisite  amount  of 
brains,  but  how  to  establish  a  relation  between  thought 
and  bread  and  butter  is  the  problem.  He  has  the 
requisite  motive  power,  but  it  is  not  attached  to  any- 
thing. He  does  not  know  how  to  attach  it,  so  he 
revolves  in  a  circle,  or  makes  a  series  of  floundering 
experiments,  that  bear  meagre  fruit,  perhaps  when  the 
better  part  of  his  life  is  gone.  He  knows  books,  but  he 
does  not  know  men.  He  is  a  master  of  theories,  but 
cannot  apply  them.  If  he  has  a  small  amount  of 
brains,  his  case  is  still  more  hopeless.  To  be  sure,  a 
proper  amount  of  knowledge  has  been  poured  in,  but 
it  has  all  slipped  through.  He  might  have  assimilated 
some  other  kind  of  knowledge,  but  that  particular  kind 
has  left  him  with  mental  dyspepsia,  and  a  vague  feel- 
ing of  hopelessness  which  is  likely  to  prove  fatal  to 
all  useful  effort.  Or  perhaps  he  has  talent,  but  is  desti- 
tute of  the  requisite  tact  to  make  it  tell  upon  the  world. 
His  success  depends  largely  on  his  power  to  move*1 
(Others,  but  he  has  no  lever  and  is  forced  to  rely  upon 
main  strength,  which  involves  a  serious  expenditure 
of  vitality,  with  only  doubtful  results.  He  works  all 
his  life  against  perpetual  friction,  because  no  one  had 
the  foresight  or  insight  to  discern  that  this  was  the  flaw 
in  his  machinery. 


98  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

"Another  fatal  point  is  in  the  choice  of  a  vocation. 
Having  drifted  through  an  education,  he  next  drifts 
into  his  business  or  profession.  He  rarely  stops  to  take 
an  inventory  of  his  capital,  or,  at  best,  he  takes  a  very 
partial  one.  Chance  or  circumstance  decides  him. 
His  grandfather  sits  on  the  judge's  bench.  He  thinks 
the  judge's  bench  a  desirable  place,  so  he  takes  to  the 
law.  He  puts  on  his  grandfather's  coat  without  the 
slightest  reference  to  whether  it  will  fit  or  not.  Per- 
haps he  intends  to  grow  to  it,  but  a  willow  sapling  can- 
not grow  into  an  oak.  It  may  grow  into  a  very  re- 
spectable willow,  but  if  it  aspires  to  the  higher  dignity, 
it  will  most  likely  get  crushed  or  blown  over.  It  may 
be  that  he  has  a  grand  vision  of  commercial  splendor, 
and  plunges  into  business  life  with  a  very  good  idea  of 
Sophocles  and  Horace  and  no  idea  whatever  of  trade ; 
with  a  very  good  talent  for  theories,  but  none  whatever 
for  facts;  with  some  insight  into  metaphysics,  but  none 
at  all  into  people.  Instead  of  trying  his  strength  in 
shallow  waters,  he  starts  to  cross  the  Atlantic  in  a  very 
small  skiff.  By  the  time  he  has  reached  mid-ocean  he 
discovers  his  error,  but  it  is  too  late  to  turn  back ;  so 
he  is  buffeted  about  by  winds  and  waves  until  he,  too, 
goes  down  and  counts  among  the  failures. 

"Another  of  the  few  points  upon  which  life  hinges 
is  marriage,  and  people  drift  into  that  as  they  do  into 
everything  else.  It  is  one  of  the  things  to  be  done  in 
order  to  complete  the  circle  of  human  experience.  A 
man  is  caught  by  a  pretty  face  and  a  winning  smile. 
He  takes  no  thought  of  the  new  element  he  is  adding 
to  his  life,  either  with  reference  to  his  outward  career 
or  his  inward  needs.  Caprice  governs  his  choice,  or 
perhaps  a  hard  form  of  self-interest.  Having  com- 


MASTERED  IN  THE  BATTLE  99 

mitted  one  or  two  of  the  grand  errors  of  life,  he  settles 
down  to  its  serious  business,  and  speedily  discovers  that 
he  has  a  dead  weight  to  carry.  He  has  mistaken  his 
vocation,  whatever  it  may  be. 

"  He  is  conscious  now  that  it  is  too  late  to  change  ; 
that  he  might  have  attained  supreme  excellence  in 
some  other  calling.  He  toils  with  heavy  heart  and 
sinking  spirit  at  the  plodding  pace  of  dull  mediocrity. 
His  work  is  drudgery  and  wearies  him  body  and  soul. 
Those  who  once  smiled  upon  him  pass  him  by.  Men 
of  far  inferior  capabilities  distance  him  in  the  race. 
Perhaps  too  he  has  made  another  misstep,  and  has  a 
wife  who  sympathizes  neither  with  his  tastes  nor  his 
trials :  who  has  no  comprehension  of  him  whatever, 
save  that  he  is  a  being  whose  business  it  is  to  love  her 
and  furnish  her  with  spending  money.  The  beauty 
which  fascinated  him  has  grown  faded  and  insipid. 
The  pretty  coquetries  that  won  him  pall  upon  him ; 
he  is  absolutely  alone  with  the  burden  of  life  pressing 
heavily  upon  him.  Is  it  strange  that  he  is  mastered 
in  the  battle  and  finally  falls  beneath  the  world's  piti- 
less tread?  This  is  a  sad  little  picture,  but  it  is  an 
every-day  one,  and  the  world  goes  on  its  way  as 
before. 

"What  matters  it  that  a  lonely,  dissipated  man  has 
lain  down  in  sorrow  to  rise  no  more!  The  world  can- 
not stop  to  weep  over  the  remains  of  the  departed  one 
it  has  trampled  upon.  Those  whose  business  it  is  caii 
take  them  on  one  side,  lay  them  away  under  the  green 
sod  out  of  sight,  shed  a  tear  perhaps,  and  pass  on  until 
their  turn  comes  to  lay  down  wearily,  go  to  sleep,  and 
be  laid  away.  The  world  chides,  the  world  laughs, 
but  it  takes  no  cognizance  of  the  grief — 


100  SWORD  AXD  PEN. 

" '  That  inward  breaks  and  shows  no  cause  without, 
Why  the  man  dies.' 

"  Yet  there  is  but  the  difference  of  a  point  in  the 
game  between  the  victim  and  the  hero.  The  cards  are 
the  same,  or  the  victim,  perhaps,  may  hold  the  best 
trumps,  but  he  plays  recklessly,  loses  his  point,  loses 
his  game,  loses  all !  On  such  slight  things  does  human 
destiny  hinge.  The  hero  has  all  his  resources  at  com- 
mand— his  game  dimly  outlined.  He  knows  his  win- 
ning cards,  and  he  plays  them  skilfully. 

"  Every  point  tells.  Nothing  is  left  to  chance  that 
can  be  accomplished  by  foresight.  He  wins  the  game. 
He  wins  the  prizes.  He  has  the  mastery  of  life.  The 
world  takes  off  its  hat  to  him.  Fortune  and  people 
smile  upon  him.  Not  that  he  is  better  than  others- 
very  likely  he  is  not  so  good.  But  the  world  counts 
results.  Becky  Sharp  is  not  a  model,  but  Becky 
Sharp  is  a  power.  The  world  does  not  like  her  in 
the  abstract,  but  it  likes  her  dinners,  it  courts  her 
smiles,  it  fawns  upon  her,  it  showers  its  good  things 
upon  her,  all  because  she  has  mastered  it.  Becky 
Sharp  is  not  a  model.  Her  aims  are  unworthy,  and 
her  means  unscrupulous;  but  she  reads  us  a  lesson  in 
fact,  in  foresight,  in  energy,  in  the  subtle  art  of  making 
the  most  of  limited  resources.  So  long  as  life  is  a 
game,  it  is  worth  studying.  The  difference  between 
playing  it  well  and  playing  it  ill  Js  the  difference 
between  light  and  darkness,  between  joy  and  desola- 
tion, between  life  and  death." 

Even  at  that  early  and  immature  time  of  his  life, 
Willard  Glazier  had  thought  much  upon  this  subject — 
examples  of  the  disjointed  successes  of  all  unplanned 
and  unmethodical  careers  having  been  brought  too 


PLAN  AND  PURPOSE.  101 

frequently  into  close  proximity  to  his  own  door,  not 
to  have  made  an  impression  upon  his  inquiring  mind. 

Hence,  at  the  very  threshold  of  his  life  as  a  teacher, 
he  resolved  to  have  plan  and  purpose  clearly  defined 
in  everything  he  did 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   SOLDIER   SCHOOL-MASTER. 

From  boy  to  man. — The  Lyceum  debate. — Willard  speaks  for  th« 
slave.  —  Entrance  to  the  State  Normal  School.  —  Reverses. 
— Fighting  the  world  again.  —  Assistance  from  fair  hands. 
— Willard  meets  Allen  Barringer. — John  Brown,  and  what 
Willard  thought  of  him. — Principles  above  bribe. — Exami- 
nation.— A  sleepless  night. — Haunted  by  the  "ghost  of  possi- 
ble defeat."  —  "  Here  is  your  certificate."  —  The  school  at 
Schodack  Centre. — At  the  "  Normal "  again.  —  The  Ed- 
wards School. — Thirty  pupils  at  two  dollars  each. — The  "sol- 
dier school-master." — Teaches  at  East  Schodack. — The  runa- 
way ride. — Good-by,  mittens,  robes  and  whip ! — Close  of  school 
at  East  Schodack. 

4  LTHOUGH  a  very  boy  in  years,  young  Glazier 
-L\-  felt  himself  already  stepping  upon  the  bound- 
ary line  of  manhood,  and,  luckily  for  his  future  wel- 
fare, he  comprehended  the  dangers  and  realized  the 
responsibilities  which  attend  that  portion  of  human 
existence. 

Upon  the  fifth  of  February,  1857,  the  dull  routine 
of  a  teacher's  duty  was  varied  by  a  visit  made  to 
Edwards  by  Willard's  uncle  Joseph,  and  his  sisters; 
and,  after  closing  his  school,  the  former  went  home 
with  his  visitors,  and  thence  to  a  Lyceum  which  had 
been  established  in  the  Herrick  School  District,  where 
a  debate  was  in  progress  as  to  the  relative  importance, 
in  a  humanitarian  point  of  view,  of  the  bondage  of  the 


GLIMPSES  OF  THE  fVTURE.  1Q3 

African  race  in  ((he  Southern  States,  or  the  decadence 
01*  the  Indian  tribes  under  the  encroachments  of 
the  Whites.  The  "question"  assumed  that  the 
Aborigines  were  best  worthy  of  sympathy;  and 
young  Glazier,  being  invited  to  participate  in  the 
discussion,  accepted,  and  spoke  upon  the  negative  side 
of  the  question. 

He  little  dreamed  upon  that  winter's  night,  when, 
in  the  small  arena  of  a  village  debating-club,  he  stood 
up  as  the  champion  of  the  slave,  that  the  day  was  not 
far  distant  when  he  would  ride  rowel-deep  in  carnage 
upon  battle-fields  which  war's  sad  havoc  had  made 
sickening,  fighting  for  the  same  cause  in  whose  behalf 
he  now  so  eloquently  spoke. 

No  prophetic  vision  of  what  fate  held  in  store  for 
him  appeared  to  the  ardent  boy,  speaking  for  those 
who  could  not  rise  from  the  darkness  of  their  bondage 
to  speak  for  themselves.  No  glimpse  of  weary  months 
dragged  out  in  Confederate  prisons — of  hair-breadth 
escapes  from  dangers  dread  and  manifold — of  hiding 
in  newly-dug  graves  made  to  assist  the  flight  of  the 
living,  not  to  entomb  the  dead — of  lying  in  jungles 
and  cypress-swamps  while  fierce  men  and  baffled 
hounds  were  panting  for  his  blood — of  vicissitudes 
and  perils  more  like  the  wild  creations  of  some  fevered 
dream  than  the  plain  and  unvarnished  reality :  nothing 
of  all  this  came  before  him  to  trouble  his  young  hopes 
or  cloud  his  bright  anticipations  of  the  future. 

He  spoke  of  freedom,  and  had  never  seen  a  slave. 
He  pictured  the  cruelty  of  the  lash  used  in  a  Christian 
land  on  Christian  woman,  be  she  black  or  white.  He 
spoke  of  the  deeper  wrong  of  tearing  the  new-born 
babe  from  its  mother's  breast  to  sell  it  by  the  pound — 
8 


104  SWORD  AND  PEX. 

of  dragging  the  woman  herself  from. the  father  of  her 
child  and  compelling  her  to  mate  with  other  men — of 
the  fact  that  such  wrongs  were  not  alone  the  offspring 
of  cruel  hearts,  nor  of  brutal  owners,  but  arose  from 
the  mere  operation  of  barbarous  laws  where  masters, 
.if  left  to  themselves,  would  have  been  most  kind. 
He  spoke  of  such  things  as  these,  and  yet  he  never 
dreamed  that  his  words  were  but  the  precursors  of 
deeds  that  would  make  mere  words  seem  spiritless  and 
tame. 

Young  Glazier  spoke  well.  The  little  magnates  of 
the  place — the  older  men,  after  this,  talked  of  him  as 
of  one  likely  to  rise,  to  become  a  man  of  note,  and 
their  manner  grew  more  respectful  towards  the  young 
school-master.  His  occupations  and  amusements  at 
this  period  of  his  existence,  though  simple  in  their 
character,  were  considerably  varied. 

Among  other  entries  in  his  journal  about  this  date, 
is  one  that  so  commends  itself  by  its  brevity  and 
comprehensiveness  that  I  quote  it  verbatim. 

"Having,"  he  says,  "received  an  invitation  upon 
the  twenty-fourth  of  December,  I  attended  a  party  at 
the  residence  of  Jeptha  Clark,  whose  excellent  wife 
received  me  very  kindly ;  upon  Christmas  day  I  vis- 
ited T.  L.  TurnbulPs  school  at  Fullersville ;  upon 
Monday  last  called  at  Mr.  Austin's  school  in  the  Her- 
rick  District ;  Tuesday,  dropped  down  for  a  moment 
upon  the  students  at  Gouverneur;  on  Wednesday, 
returned  home ;  and  on  Thursday,  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  day,  assisted  uncle  Joseph  in  hauling  wood  from 
the  swamps  on  the  Davis  Place." 

Thus  the  time  slipped  rapidly  by  and  his  first  term 
of  teaching  drew  to  a  close.  In  the  spring  of  1850  he 


ROUTINE  OF  DAY'S   WORK.  105 

again  became  a  member  of  the  Gouverneur  "Wesleyau 
Seminary,  and  in  May  of  that  year,  made  the  following 
characteristic  entry  in  his  diary  : 

"  '  Order  is  Heaven's  first  law.'  A  time  and  place 
for  everything,  and  everything  in  its  time  and  place, 
was  the  rule  of  conduct  I  adopted  some  time  ago.  In 
accordance  with  this  determination  I  have  laid  out  the 
following  routine  of  occupation  for  each  day.  I  intend 
to  abide  by  it  during  the  present  term.  I  will  retire 
at  ten  o'clock  P.  M.,  rise  each  morning  at  five  o'clock, 
walk  and  exercise  until  six,  then  return  to  rny  room, 
breakfast  and  read  history  until  eight,  then  repeat 
what  the  English  call  a  ' constitutional,'  viz.:  an- 
other walk  until  prayers,  devoting  the  time  intervening 
between  prayers  and  recitation,  to  Algebra.  After  re- 
citation, I  will  study  Geometry  for  three-quarters  of 
an  hour,  Latin  for  half  an  hour,  and  be  ready  for 
recitation  again  at  two  o'clock.  This  will  complete  my 
regular  course  of  study,  and,  by  carrying  out  this  rou- 
tine, I  can  dine  at  noon,  and  also  have  a  considerable 
amount  of  time  for  miscellaneous  reading  and  writing, 
to  say  nothing  of  my  Saturdays,  upon  which  I  can 
review  the  studies  of  the  week." 

To  this  plan  young  Glazier  adhered  conscientiously, 
and  hence  he  made  rapid  progress  and  very  soon  found 
himself  in  a  condition  to  take  another  forward  step  in 
the  pathway  of  learning.  That  step  was  the  entrance 
to  the  State  Normal  School  at  Albany.  To  go  to 
West  Point  and  receive  the  military  training  which 
our  government  benevolently  bestows  upon  her  sons  at 
that  institution,  had  been  his  pet  ambition  for  years — 
the  scheme  towards  which  all  his  energies  were  bent. 
But  failing  in  this,  his  next  choice  was  the  Normal 


106  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

School.  Accordingly,  on  a  certain  September  after- 
noon in  1859,  he  found  himself  in  the  capital  city 
of  the  Empire  State,  knocking  for  admission  at  the 
doors  of  the  State  School.  He  was  alone  and  among 
strangers  in  a  great  metropolis,  with  a  purse  containing 
the  sum  of  eight  dollars !  For  a  course  of  seven  or 
eight  months  instruction  this  was  certainly  a  modest 
estimate  of  expenses!  In  fact,  young  Gla/ier  had 
based  his  financial  arrangements  on  a  miscalculation 
of  the  amount  furnished  by  the  State.  He  did  not 
then  know  that  the  only  provision  made  by  the  body 
politic  was  for  mileage,  tuition  and  text-books.  But 
on  Monday  morning,  September  seventeenth,  1859,  he 
signed  his  name  to  the  Normal  pledge,  and  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  examination — which  continued  until 
September  twenty-third — he  was  assigned  to  the  Junior 
Class — there  being  at  that  time  four  classes:  the 
Senior  and  sub-Senior,  Junior  and  sub-Junior. 

The  next  step  was  to  find  lodgings  at  a  weekly  or 
monthly  price  more  suited  to  his  means  than  those 
which  he  had  temporarily  taken  at  the  Adams  House 
on  his  arrival  there  the  previous  evening.  Always 
frugal  in  regard  to  his  personal  expenditures,  he 
knew  that,  in  order  to  eke  out  the  full  term  with  his 
scanty  resources,  he  must  carry  his  habitual  thrift  to 
its  fullest  extent.  He  therefore  scoured  the  town  for 
apartments,  aided  by  references  from  Professor  Cochran, 
principal  of  the  Normal,  and  finally  obtained  a  room 
on  Lydius  street,  almost  within  shadow  of  the  Cathe- 
dral, and  at  the  certainly  reasonable  rate  of  "six  shil- 
lings per  week."  This  room  he  shared  with  Alex- 
ander S.  Hunter,  from  Schoharie  County,  and  a 
member  of  the  sub-Senior  Class.  For  several  weeks 


IN  PURSUIT  OF  A   SCHOOL.  107 

the  young  students  boarded  at  this  place,  buying 
what  food  they  required,  which  the  landlady  cooked 
for  them  free  of  charge.  Seventy-five  cents  a  week 
paid  for  their  cooking  and  their  rent ! 

But  even  this  small  outlay  soon  exhausted  the 
meagre  resources  of  young  Glazier,  and,  at  the  end  of 
the  time  mentioned,  he  went  over  into  Rensselaer 
County,  to  look  up  a  school,  in  order  to  replenish  his 
well-nigh  empty  purse,  and  to  enable  him  to  proceed 
in  his  efforts  to  acquire  an  education.  It  was  a  bright 
clear  morning  in  November  when  he  left  his  boarding- 
place  on  Lydius  street  in  quest  of  his  self-appointed 
work,  and,  crossing  the  Hudson  on  a  ferry-boat, 
walked  all  the  way  to  Nassau  by  the  Bloomingdale 
Road — a  distance  of  sixteen  miles.  His  object  was 
to  find  Allen  Barringer,  School  Commissioner  for 
Rensselaer  County,  who,  as  he  had  been  told,  lived 
somewhere  near  Nassau.  On  the  way  to  that  village 
he  passed  two  or  three  schools,  concerning  which  he 
made  inquiries,  with  a  view  to  engaging  some  one  of 
them  on  his  return  to  Albany  should  he  be  so  success- 
ful as  to  obtain  a  certificate  from  Mr.  Barringer.  At 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  this,  to  him, 
eventful  day,  young  Glazier  had  arrived  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Harmon  Payne,  near  East  Schodack,  or 
"Scott's  Corners,"  as  it  was  sometimes  called.  He 
had  been  referred  to  this  gentleman  as  one  likely  to 
assist  him  in  his  endeavors  to  obtain  a  school.  He 
had  eaten  nothing  since  morning,  and,  having  walked 
a  distance  of  nearly  sixteen  miles,  as  may  be  imagined, 
was  somewhat  faint  and  hungry.  But  the  good  wife 
of  Mr.  Payne  showed  herself  not  lacking  in  the 
kindly  courtesy  belonging  to  a  gentlewoman,  and,  with 


108  SWORD  AXD  FEZ. 

true    hospitality,   placed    before   the   young    Normal 
student  a  delicious  repast  of  bread  and  honey. 

To  this  youthful  wayfarer,  with  a  purse  reduced  to 
a  cypher,  and  struggling  over  the  first  rough  places  in 
the  pathway  of  life, the  simple  meal  was  like  manna  in 
the  wilderness.  After  chatting  pleasantly  with  the 
family  for  an  hour  or  more,  he  started  again  on 
his  journey.  But  this  time  not  alone;  for  Mr.  Payne 
very  kindly  sent  his  niece  with  the  boy  teacher,  in 
whom  he  had  become  so  much  interested,  to  show 
him  a  shorter  route  to  East  Schodack  "across  lots." 
This  village,  two  miles  farther  on,  by  the  traveled 
highway,  was  only  three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant  by 
a  pathway  leading  across  the  pasture  lands  of  some 
adjoining  farms.  In  the  fading  November  afternoon 
the  young  lady  and  her  prottgi  walked  together  to 
East  Schodack — a  walk  which  young  \Villard  never 
forgot,  and  out  of  which  afterwards  grew  a  fairy  fabric 
of  romantic  regard  glittering  with  all  the  rainbow  hues 
of  boyish  sentiment,  and  falling  collapsed  in  the  after- 
crash  of  life,  like  many  another  soap-bubble  experi- 
ence of  first  young  days. 

But  he  did  not  succeed,  at  that  time,  in  securing  the 
East  Schodack  School,  as  he  had  hoped  to  do.  Nothing 
daunted,  however,  he  trod  reverses  under  foot  and 
pushed  on  towards  the  residence  of  the  School  Com- 
missioner whose  ipse  dixit  was  to  award  him  success  or 
failure. 

Allen  Barringer  lived  one  mile  from  the  village 
of  Nassau,  in  Rensselaer  County,  and  it  was  nearly 
nightfall  when,  with  an  anxious  heart  and  weary  with 
the  day's  journey,  he  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  com- 
fortable country  residence  which  had  been  pointed  out 


ALLEN  BARRINGER.  109 

fo  him  as  the  one  belonging  to  the  School  Commis- 
sioner. That  gentleman  himself  came  to  the  door  in 
answer  to  his  knock,  and  upon  Willard's  inquiry  for 
Mr.  Bar  ringer  replied: 

"I  am  Mr.  Barringer,  sir;  what  can  I  do  for  you?" 

His  manner  was  so  pleasant  and  his  face  so  genial 
that  young  Glazier,  at  once  reassured,  had  no  difficultv 
in  making  known  his  business. 

"I  have  come  out  here  from  Albany,"  said  he,  "t<» 
see  if  I  could  pass  examination  for  a  certificate,  to 
teach  in  your  district." 

"  Well,  come  in,  come  in,"  said  Mr.  Barringer,  cor- 
dially, "and  I  will  see  what  I  can  do  for  you.  You 
are  not  going  back  to  Albany  to-night  ?  "  he  asked. 

"No,  I  shall  not  be  able  to  do  so,"  replied 
Willard. 

"  Have  you  friends  or  relatives  here  with  whom  you 
intend  to  stay  ?  " 

"No,  sir." 

"  Then  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  stop  with  us  to- 
night. I  am  a  young  man  like  yourself,  living  at 
home  here  with  my  parents,  as  you  see,  I  am  fond  of 
company,  and  will  be  happy  to  place  my  room  at  your 
disposal.  And  as  there  will  be  no  hurry  about  the 
examination,  we  will  talk  more  about  it  after  supper." 

Young  Glazier  thanked  his  host  for  the  kind  proffer 
of  entertainment,  and  of  course  acquiesced  in  the 
arrangement. 

Accordingly,  after  the  physical  man  had  been  re- 
freshed at  a  well-spread  supper-table,  Mr.  Barringer 
conducted  his  young  guest  to  his  own  apartments, 
where  they  drew  their  easy-chairs  before  a  comfortable 
fire,  and  entered  into  conversation. 


110  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

"I  am  considerably  interested  in  politics  just  now," 
said  Mr.  Barringer,  and  then  he  asked  abruptly,  "what 
is  your  opinion  of  John  Brown  ?  " 

At  this  time  the  first  red  flash  of  the  war  that  swiftly 
followed,  had  glowered  athwart  the  political  horizon, 
in  the  John  Brown  raid  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  against 
this  lurid  background  the  figure  of  the  stern  old  man 
stood  out  in  strong  relief.  It  was  at  the  period  when, 
shut  up  in  prison,  he  was  writing  those  heroic  words  to 
his  wife,  those  loving  words  of  farewell  to  his  children; 
when  petitions  poured  in  pleading  for  his  life — though 
they  were  petitions  all  in  vain — and  when,  naturally, 
partisan  feeling  on  the  subject  was  at  its  height.  AVil- 
lard  felt  that  in  expressing  his  candid  convictions  he 
might  be  treading  on  dangerous  ground,  and  perhaps 
endangering  his  chances  for  success,  yet  he  held  princi- 
ple so  high,  and  honest  sentiment  so  far  above  brfbe, 
that  if  his  certificate  had  depended  on  it  he  would  not 
have  hesitated  to  express  his  admiration  for  the  brave 
old  man  who  laid  down  his  life  for  the  slave,  and 
whose  name  has  since  been  crowned  with  the  immor- 
telles of  fame.  Therefore  Willard  replied  with  a 
frankness  worthy  of  emulation  that  he  looked  upon 
John  Brown  as  a  conscientious,  earnest,  devoted  man — 
a  man  whose  face  was  firmly  set  in  the  path  of  duty 
though  that  path  led  to  imprisonment  and  the  gallows ; 
a  man  much  in  advance  of  his  time — one  of  the 
pioneers  of  free  thought,  suffering  for  the  sacred 
cause,  as  pioneers  in  all  great  movements  always  suf- 
fer. He  spoke  with  a  modest  fearlessness  known 
sometimes  to  youth  and  to  few  men.  Mr.  Barrin- 
ger replied  that,  though  he  held  different  views,  he 
could  not  but  admire  Willanl's  frankness  in  avow- 


SECURES  A   TEACHERS  CERTIFICATE.       \\\ 

ing  his  own  political  convictions,  and  that  this  inde- 
pendence in  principle  would  in  nowise  detract  from 
his  previously  formed  good  opinion  of  him.  After- 
wards, Mr.  Barringer  examined  him  in  the  com- 
mon English  branches  of  study,  besides  astronomy, 
philosophy  and  algebra — studies  usually  taught  in  the 
public  schools  of  Rensselaer  County.  In  this  way,  with 
much  pleasant  talk  dropped  at  intervals  through  the 
official  business  of  examination,  prefaced  at  length  with 
politics  and  concluded  with  social  chat,  an  agreeable 
evening  passed. 

Mr.  Barringer  at  last  said  good-night  to  the  young 
Normal  student,  with  the  remark  that  he  would  see 
what  could  be  done  for  him  in  the  morning. 

Not  much  sleep  visited  Willard's  eyes  that  night, 
with  the  ghost  of  possible  defeat  haunting  his  wakeful 
senses,  stretched  to  their  utmost  tension  of  anxiety. 

Would  he,  or  would  he  not,  receive  in  the  morning 
the  certificate  he  sought?  This  was  the  thought  tossed 
continually  up  on  the  topmost  wave  of  his  conscious- 
ness all  the  night  long.  Morning  dawned  at  last,  much 
to  his  relief.  When  Mr.  Barringer  came  to  his  door 
to  announce  breakfast,  he  handed  Willard  the  coveted 
piece  of  paper. 

"  Now  then,"  said  he,  cheerily,  "  here  is  your  certifi- 
cate, and  as  I  am  going  to  drive  over  to  Albany  after 
breakfast,  if  you  have  no  particular  school  in  view,  I 
shall  be  glad  to  have  you  ride  with  me  as  far  as  Schodack 
Centre,  where  I  have  some  very  good  friends,  and  will 
introduce  you  to  the  trustees  of  the  district,  Messrs. 
Brock  way,  Hover  and  Knickerbocker." 

Accordingly  they  drove  over  to  the  residence  of 
Milton  Knickerbocker,  school  trustee  of  District  No.  7, 
of  the  town  of  Schodack. 


112  SWORD  AKD  PEN. 

That  gentleman  thanked  the  School  Commissioner 
for  bringing  the  young  teacher  over,  said  that  he  would 
be  pleased  to  engage  him,  and  that  it  was  only  neces- 
sary to  see  another  trustee,  George  Brockway,  to 
make  the  engagement  final.  Mr.  Knickerbocker 
then  accompanied  young  Glazier  to  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Brockway,  where  arrangements  were  made  for 
him  to  teach  the  school  at  Schodack  Centre.  He  then 
walked  back  to  Albany. 

Willard  had  said  nothing  to  his  landlady,  on  Lydius 
street,  concerning  his  intended  absence,  fearing  he 
might  have  to  report  the  failure  of  his  project,  and  on 
the  evening  of  his  return  to  Albany — having  been 
away  for  thirty-six  hours — was  surprised  to  find  that 
the  family  were  just  about  to  advertise  him  in  the  city 
papers,  thinking  some  strange  fate  had  befallen  him,  or 
that  he  had  perhaps  committed  suicide. 

In  just  one  week  from  the  time  Glazier  engaged  his 
school  at  Schodack  Centre,  he  returned  to  that  place, 
and  taught  the  young  Schodackers  successfully  through 
the  specified  term,  after  which  he  went  to  Albany  and 
passed  the  next  Normal  School  term.  On  the  twelfth 
of  July  following,  he  left  Albany  for  the  home  farm, 
where  he  worked  until  the  first  of  September.  He 
then  went  on  a  prospecting  tour  out  to  Edwards,  near 
the  field  of  his  former  efforts,  and  canvassed  for  scholars 
at  two  dollars  each,  for  a  term  of  eight  weeks.  His 
object  was  to  teach  during  the  fall  and  winter  months 
and  return  to  Albany  in  the  spring.  This  energetic 
youth  of  eighteen  succeeded  in  obtaining  about  thirty 
pupils,  among  whom  were  six  teachers — one  of  them 
having  taught  four  terms. 

Among  the  incidents  of  his  school  experience  at  thi« 


THE  SOY-TEACHER.  113 

time  may  be  mentioned  the  fact  of  a  scries  of  drill 
tactics,  originated  by  himself,  with  which  he  practised 
his  pupils  so  thoroughly  that  they  were  enabled  to  go 
through  all  the  regular  evolutions  set  down  in  Hardce. 
Yet  he  had  never  seen  the  drill-book. 

It  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  those  outcroppings  of 
his  natural  bent  towards  the  military  art  which  he  dis- 
played from  his  very  infancy  ;  for  true  military  genius, 
like  true  poetical  genius,  is  born,  not  made.  Of  course 
our  young  tactician  soon  made  himself  known,  and 
throughout  the  district  he  was  distinguished  by  the 
title  of  the  "  Soldier-Schoolmaster." 

It  was  an  involuntary  tribute  yielded  by  public 
sentiment  to  the  boy  who  afterwards  became  the 
"  Soldier-Author." 

This  boy-teacher,  young  as  he  was,  marshalled  all 
his  pupils  into  disciplined  order,  like  the  rank  and 
file  of  the  army,  and  somehow  held  natural  words 
of  command  at  his  disposal  whereby  he  wielded  the 
human  material  given  into  his  charge,  as  a  general 
might  wield  the  forces  under  his  command.  The  school 
was  his  miniature  world  and  he  was  its  master — hip 
diminutive  kingdom  wherein  he  was  king;  and  within 
the  boundary  of  this  chosen  realm  his  sway  was 
absolute. 

First  the  "  Soldier-Schoolmaster,"  drilling  his  boy- 
pupils  ;  then  the  Soldier  of  the  Saddle,  riding  through 
shot  and  shell  and  war's  fierce  din  on  Virginia's 
historic  fields;  and  last,  but  perhaps  not  least,  the 
"Soldier-Author,"  winning  golden  opinions  from  press 
and  people ;  through  all  these  changes  of  his  life,  from 
boy  to  man,  one  characteristic  shows  plain  and  clear 
*— his  military  bent.  It  is  like  the  one  bright  stripe 


114  SWORD  AND 

through  a  neutral  ground,  the  one  vein  of  ore  deposit 
through  the  various  stratifications  of  its  native  rock. 

The  Edwards  Select  School  was  continued  until  the 
first  of  November,  when  Glazier  left  home  once 
more,  this  time  in  company  with  his  sister  Marjorie, 
hound  for  Troy.  On  arriving  at  that  city  he  left 
his  sister  at  the  house  of  an  old  friend,  Alexander 
McCoy,  and  went  down  into  Rensselaer  County  a 
second  time  in  search  of  a  school,  or  rather  two  schools 
— one  for  his  sister  as  well  as  one  for  himself.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  both  of  them  on  the  same  day,  and 
went  back  to  Troy  that  night.  His  own  district  was 
East  Schodack,  near  Sckodack  Centre,  where  he  had 
previously  taught,  and  his  sister  secured  the  school  two 
miles  north  of  the  village  of  Castleton  and  six  miles 
distant  from  Albany. 

The  little  school-house  near  Castleton,  where  his 
sister  taught,  was  located  in  a  lovely  spot  on  a  height 
overlooking  the  Hudson  and  commanding  a  fine  view 
of  the  river  and  the  surrounding  scenery. 

During  the  school  term  in  their  respective  districts, 
it  was  Willard  Glazier's  habit  to  visit  his  sister 
once  a  week,  on  Saturday  or  Sunday,  and  on  several 
occasions  a  gentleman  living  at  East  Schodack,  Wil- 
liam Westfall  by  name,  who  owned  a  fine  horse  and 
sleigh,  loaned  him  the  use  of  his  establishment  to 
drive  to  Castleton  and  return.  The  sleigh  was  provided 
with  warm  robes  of  fur  and  the  horse  was  beyond  doubt 
spirited,  and  a  handsome  specimen  of  the  genus  horse. 
But  as  we  cannot  look  for  absolute  perfection  in  any- 
thing pertaining  to  earth,  it  may  be  stated  that  this 
animal  was  no  exception  to  the  universal  rule.  He  had 
his  fault,  as  young  Glazier  discovered — a  disagreeable 


A  RUNAWAY  HOUSE.  H5 

habit  of  running  away  every  time  he  saw  a  train  of 
cars.  Perhaps  the  horse  couldn't  help  it;  it  was  no 
doubt  an  inherited  disposition,  descended  to  him 
through  long  lines  of  fractious  ancestors,  and  therefore 
it  need  not  be  set  down  against  him  in  the  catalogue 
of  wilful  sins.  But  whether  so  or  otherwise,  this  little 
unpleasantness  in  his  disposition  was  an  established 
fact,  and  unfortunately  there  were  two  railroads  to 
cross  between  East  Schodack  and  Castleton.  On  Gla- 
zier's first  ride  to  Castleton  with  the  Westfail  horse 
and  sleigh,  he  had  just  crossed  the  Boston  and  Albany 
Railroad  when  a  freight-train  rolled  heavily  by,  which 
put  the  horse  under  excellent  headway,  and  on  reaching 
the  Hudson  River  Railroad — the  two  tracks  running 
very  near  each  other — a  passenger  train  came  up  be- 
hind him.  This  completed  the  aggregation  of  causes, 
and  away  flew  the  horse  down  the  road  to  Castleton  at 
break-neck  speed.  Fences  disappeared  like  gray  streaks 
in  the  distance;  roadside  cottages  came  in  view  and 
were  swiftly  left  behind  in  the  track  of  the  foam- 
flecked  animal.  All  that  Glazier  could  do  was  to  keep 
him  in  the  road,  until  at  length  an  old  shed  by  the 
roadside  served  his  purpose,  and  running  him  into  it, 
the  horse,  puffing  and  snorting,  was  obliged  to  stop. 
On  his  return  to  East  Schodack,  Mr.  Westfail  asked 
him  how  he  liked  the  horse.  He  replied  that  he 
thought  the  animal  a  splendid  traveler.  He  did  think 
so,  beyond  question. 

The  next  Sunday  young  Glazier  was  driving  again 
to  Castleton  with  the  same  stylish  turn-out;  this  time 
with  his  sister  Marjorie  in  the  sleigh.  She  had  come 
up  to  East  Schodack  the  evening  before,  and  he  was 
taking  her  back  to  her  school.  The  sleighing  was  ex- 


116  &  \YVItD  AND  PEN. 

cellent,  the  day  fine,  and  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage 
bell  until  they  reached  the  railroad.  There  the  inevi- 
table train  of  cars  loomed  in  view,  and  the  puff,  puff 
of  the  engine,  sending  out  great  volumes  of  steam  and 
its  wild  screech  at  the  crossing,  completely  upset  what 
few  ideas  of  propriety  and  steady  travel  this  horse  may 
have  had  in  his  poor,  bewildered  head,  and,  with  a 
leap  and  a  jerk,  he  was  once  more  running  away  on 
the  Castleton  Road  as  if  the  entire  host  of  the  infernal 
regions  were  let  loose  was  after  him. 

For  a  little  while  he  made  things  around  them  as 
lively  as  a  pot  of  yeast.  Away  went  whip,  robes, 
mittens  and  everything  else  lying  loose  in  the  bottom 
of  the  sleigh  at  all  calculated  to  yield  to  the  vortex  of 
a  whirlwind  or  a  runaway.  But  Glazier  proved  him- 
self master  of  the  situation  in  this  as  in  many  another 
event  of  his  life,  and  with  one  hand  holding  his  fright- 
ened sister  from  jumping  out  of  the  sleigh,  with  the 
other  he  twisted  the  lines  firmly  around  his  wrist  and 
kept  the  horse  in  the  road,  until,  at  the  distance  of 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  beyond  Castleton,  he  brought 
the  infuriated  animal  to  a  stand-still  by  running  him 
against  the  side  of  a  barn.  Afterwards  he  drove  leis- 
urely back  and  picked  up  the  robes  and  whip  and  lost 
articles  spilled  during  the  wild  runaway  ride. 

A  broken  shaft  \vas  the  only  result  of  this  last  ad- 
venture, which  Glazier  of  course,  put  in  repair  before 
his  return  to  East  Schodack.  Mr.  Westfall  never 
knew  until  after  the  close  of  the  school  term  that  his 
horse  had  afforded  the  young  teacher  an  opportunity 
to  tell  what  he  knew  about  runaways. 

The  school  at  East  Schodack  closed  with  an  exhibi- 
tion exceedingly  creditable  to  the  efforts  of  the  teacher, 


A   TRIBUTE  TO  MERIT.  H7 

at  which  Mr.  Allen  Barringer  was  present,  and  in  a 
speech  before  the  school  complimented  young  Glazier 
in  the  highest  terms.  The  programme  of  exercises  was 
an  excellent  one,  and  was  made  up  of  original  addresses, 
declamations,  recitations  and  music.  After  the  close 
of  the  school,  Mr.  Barringer  presented  Glazier  with 
a  certificate  which  entitled  him  to  teach  for  three  years, 
and  also  gave  him  in  addition  the  following  letter  of 
recommendation — a  tribute  of  which  any  young  tecchT 
might  be  justly  proud,  and  which  he  carefully  pre- 
served : 

"  To  Whom  it  May  Concern  : 

"  This  is  to  certify,  that  I  am  well  acquainted  with 
Willard  Glazier,  he  having  taught  school  during  the 
winters  of  1859  and  '60  in  my  Commission  District. 
I  consider  him  one  of  the  most  promising  young 
teachers  of  my  acquaintance.  The  school  that  has  the 
good  fortune  to  secure  his  services  will  find  him  one 
of  the  most  capable  and  efficient  teachers  of  the  day. 
"ALLEN  BARRINGER, 

"School  Commissioner,  Rensselaer  County. 
"SCHODACK,  New  York,  I860.'' 

Early  in  the  year  1860  he  resumed  his  studies  at 
the  State  Normal  School,  and  remained  at  that  institu- 
tion until  the  guns  of  Sumter  sounded  their  war-cry 
through  the  laud. 

This  period  was  the  great  turning-point  in  Willard 
Glazier's  life,  and  hereafter  we  encounter  him  in  a  far 
different  rdle. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

INTRODUCTION   TO   MILITARY    LIFE. 

The  mutterings  of  war.  —  Enlistment.  —  At  Camp  Howe.  —  First 
experience  as  a  soldier.  —  "One  step  to  the  front!"  —  Beyond 
Washington.  —  On  guard.  —  Promotion.  —  Recruiting  service.  — 
The  deserted  home  on  Arlington  Heights.  —  "  How  shall  I  be- 
have in  the  coming  battle?"  —  The  brave  Bayard.  —  On  the 
march.  —  The  stratagem  at  Falmouth  Heights.  —  A  brilliant 
charge.  —  After  the  battle. 


irresistible  results  of  the  discord  so  long 
_L  pending  between  North  and  South  accumulated 
day  by  day  ;  and  when,  at  length,  Abraham  Lincoln 
was  elected  by  a  large  popular  majority,  that  election 
was,  as  everybody  knows,  immediately  followed  by  the 
calling  of  the  Southern  States  Convention,  the  seces- 
sion, one  after  another,  of  each  of  those  States,  the 
capture  of  Fort  Sumter,  the  killing  of  Ellsworth,  and 
the  defeat  of  the  Federal  troops  at  Bull  Run.  All  of 
these  occurrences  contributed  to  inflame  the  passions, 
intensify  the  opinions,  and  arouse  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  people  of  both  sections  to  fever-heat. 

It  was  in  the  whirl  and  torrent  of  this  popular 
storm  that  Willard  Glazier  was  caught  up  and  swept 
into  the  ranks  of  the  Union  army. 

His  regiment,  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry,  was  orig- 
inally intended  for  the  regular  service  —  to  rank  as 
the  Seventh  Regular  Cavalry.  The  general  govern- 
ment, however,  concluded  to  limit  the  number  of  their 
regiments  of  horse  to  six  —  the  reasons  for  which  are 
(118) 


THE  HARRIS  LIGHT  CAVALRY.  H9 

given  by  Captain  Glazier  in  his  "Soldiers  of  the 
Saddle,"  as  follows : 

"Under  the  military  regime  of  General  Scott,  the 
cavalry  arm  of  the  service  had  been  almost  entirely 
overlooked.  His  previous  campaigns  in  Mexico,  which 
consisted  chiefly  of  the  investment  of  walled  towns  and 
of  assaults  on  fortresses,  had  not  been  favorable  to 
extensive  cavalry  operations,  and  he  was  not  disposed, 
at  so  advanced  an  age  in  life,  materially'to  change  his 
tactics  of  war." 

Hence,  this  regiment  was  mustered  into  service  as 
the  "  Second  Regiment  of  New  York  Cavalry,"  and, 
as  Senator  Ira  Harris  had  extended  to  the  organization 
the  influence  of  his  name  and  purse,  it  soon  came  to  be 
called  the  "  Harris  Light  Cavalry,"  and  retained  that 
title  throughout  the  whole  of  its  eventful  career.  The 
natural  tastes  of  young  Glazier  led  him  into  this  branch 
of  the  service  in  preference  to  the  infantry,  and  we  find 
him  writing  to  his  sister  Marjorie  as  follows : 

CAMP  HOWE,  near  SCARSDALE,  NEW  YORK, 
August  16//i,  1861. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER:  From  the  post-mark  of  this  letter  7011 
will  at  once  conjecture  the  truth  ere  I  tell  it  to  you,  and  I  can  fancy 
your  saying  to  yourself  when  you  glance  at  it:  "  Willard  is  no 
longer  talking  about  becoming,  but  really  luis  become  a  soldier." 
You  are  right.  I  am  now  a  soldier. 

Many  of  our  home  friends  will  doubtless  wonder  why  I  have  sac- 
rificed my  professional  prospects  at  a  time  when  they  first  began  to 
look  cheering,  in  order  to  share  the  hardships  and  perils  of  a  sol- 
dier's life.  But  I  need  not  explain,  to  you.,  my  reasons  for  doing 
so.  When  our  country  is  threatened  with  destruction  by  base  and 
designing  men,  in  order  to  gratify  personal  ambition  and  love  of 
sway,  it  becomes  her  sons  to  go  to  her  rescue  and  avert  the  impend- 
ing ruin.  The  rebelling  South  has  yet  to  learn  the  difference  be- 
tween the  true  principles  of  the  Constitution  and  the  delusion  of  "  State 
rights."  It  is  as  easy  to  die  a  volunteer  as  a  drafted  soldier,  and. 


120  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

in  my  opinion,  is  infinitely  more  honorable.  I  shall  return  to  my 
studies  as  soon  as  the  Rebellion  is  put  down  and  the  authority  of 
our  Government  fully  restored,  and  not  until  then. 

Let  me  give  you  a  sketch  of  our  movements  thus  far.  Having 
reached  Troy  at  3  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  the  day  you  and  I 
parted,  I  spent  the  remainder  of  the  evening  until  8  o'clock  in  the 
city.  At  that  hour  we  embarked  for  New  York,  and  the  boys  had 
a  very  exciting  and  enthusiastic  time  on  board  the  steamer  Van- 
derbilt.  Wednesday  was  spent  at  648  Broadway,  Regimental  Head- 
quarters of  the  "  Harris  Light  Cavalry ;  "  and  on  that  night  we  came 
by  train  to  our  present  camp :  or,  rather,  as  near  it  as  we  could,  for 
it. is  two  miles  from  the  nearest  station.  The  spot  is  picturesque 
enough  to  be  described.  An  old  farm,  surrounded  by  stone  fences 
that  look  like  ramparts,  constitutes  the  camp.  The  Hudson  and 
Harlem  rivers  are  in  full  view,  and  the  country  around  is  full  of 
beauty.  On  the  first  night  we  bivouacked  upon  the  bare  sod,  with 
no  covering  for  our  bodies  but  the  broad  canopy  of  heaven.  It  was 
not  until  a  late  hour  on  the  following  afternoon  that  our  white 
tents  began  to  dot  the  ground  and  gleam  through  the  dark  foliage 
of  the  trees. 

Crowds  of  visitors  from  the  neighboring  village  come  out  every 
day  to  see  us.  My  health  was  never  better,  and  this  sort  of  life 
affords  me  keen  enjoyment.  The  very  roughness  of  it  is  invigor- 
ating. My  present  writing-desk  is  the  top  of  the  stone  wall  I  have 
alluded  to,  so  you  must  criticise  neither  my  penmanship  nor  my 
style.  I  received  a  letter  from  father  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  and, 
thank  God !  I  enter  the  service  with  his  full  approbation  The  dis- 
cipline enforced  here  is  rigid,  our  rations  are  good,  fruit  is  very 
abundant,  and  to  be  had  for  the  asking ;  so  that  if  you  will  only  write 
soon  and  often,  there  will  be  little  else  required  to  fill  the  wants  of 
Your  affectionate  brother,  WLLLARD. 

Fortunately  for  their  future  comfort,  the  Harris 
Light  Cavalry,  at  the  very  outset  of  its  military 
career,  was  placed  under  the  charge  of  a  rigid  and 
skilful  disciplinarian — one  Captain  A.  N.  Duffie — who, 
having  graduated  honorably  at  the  celebrated  French 
military  school,  St.  Cyr,  possessed  all  the  martial 
enthusiasm  as  well  as  personal  peculiarities  of  his 
eacitable  countrymen. 


CAPTAIN  DUFFIE.  121 

The  captain  either  was,  or  believed  himself  to  be, 
an  eloquent  speaker,  and  his  efforts  at  rhetorical  display, 
added  to  his  French  accentuation  of  English  words, 
became  a  source  of  great  amusement  to  the  men.  He 
was  wont  to  harangue  them,  as  if  they  were  about  to 
enter  upon  a  sanguinary  battle.  The  old  stone  walls  of 
the  peaceful  farm  were  pictured  as  bristling  with  the 
enemy's  bayonets,  and  the  boys  were  called  on  to 
"charge"  at  the  hidden  foe  and  capture  him. 

"One  morning,"  says  Captain  Glazier,  "after  a 
week  spent  in  drill,  we  were  all  surprised  by  receiving 
an  order  to '  fall  into  line,'  and  discovered  that  the 
object  of  this  movement  was  to  listen  to  a  Napoleonic 
harangue  from  Captain  Duffie.  So  loud  had  been  our 
protests,  so  manifest  our  rebellious  spirit  on  the  sub- 
ject of  fortifying  a  peaceful  farm  on  the  banks  of  the 
Hudson,  that  the  captain  undoubtedly  feared  he 
might  not  be  very  zealously  supported  by  us  in  his 
future  movements,  and,  like  Napoleon  on  assuming 
command  of  the  Army  of  Italy,  sought  to  test  the 
devotion  of  his  men.  After  amusing  us  a  while  in 
broken  English,  appealing  to  our  patriotism  and  honor, 
he  at  length  shouted  : 

" '  Now,  as  many  of  you  as  are  ready  to  follow  me 
to  the  cannon's  mouth,  take  one  step  to  the  front !' 

"This  ruse  was  perfectly  successful,  and  the  whole 
line  took  the  desired  step." 

The  time  passed  pleasantly  enough  in  this  camp  of 
instruction,  despite  the  monotony  of  drill  and  guard 
duty,  and,  by  the  time  the  order  to  break  camp  reached 
the  men,  they  were  well  advanced  in  the  duties  of  the 
soldier. 

The  regiment  left  Camp  Howe  about  the  end  of 


122  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

August,  and,  passing  through  New  York,  entered  that 
most  beautiful  and  patriotic  of  cities,  Philadelphia, 
where  they  were  royally  entertained  by  the  managers 
of  the  "  Volunteer  Refreshment  Saloon."  They  at 
length  reached  Washington  and  encamped  a  half  mile 
beyond  the  Capitol. 

From  this  point  Glazier  writes  to  his  mother  as 
follows : 

CAMP  OREGON,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  August  28/A,  1861. 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  I  am  at  present  seated  under  the  branches  of  a 
large  peach  tree  that  marks  the  spot  where  two  sentinels  of  our 
array,  while  on  duty  last  night,  were  shot  by  the  rebels.  I  was  one 
of  the  same  guard,  having  been  assigned  to  such  duty  for  the  first 
time  since  entering  the  service.  Like  all  other  sentinels,  I  was 
obliged  to  walk  my  lonely  beat  with  drawn  sabre. 

It  may  interest  you  to  know  where  I  walked  my  first  beat 
It  was  in  front  of  the  residence  of  a  rabid  secessionist,  who  is  now 
an  officer  in  the  famous  Black-Horse  Cavalry.  You  may  remember 
that  this  regiment  was  reported  to  have  been  utterly  destroyed  at 
Bull  Run,  and  yet  I  am  informed  by  Washingtonians  that  it  had 
but  two  companies  in  the  fight. 

So  much  for  newspaper  gossip. 

During  the  day  I  was  very  kindly  treated  by  the  family  of  this 
gentleman,  but  in  the  evening  our  camp  commander  came  to  me 
and  said:  "Take  this  revolver,  and  if  you  value  your  life,  be 
vigilant. 

"Remember,  you  are  not  at  Scarsdale  now  !  " 

He,  of  course,  referred  to  our  old  camp  near  Scarsdale,  twenty- 
four  miles  from  New  York.  Our  present  one  is  a  little  over  half 
a  mile  from  the  Capitol,  and  from  my  tent  I  can  see  the  dome  of 
that  building,  glittering,  like  a  ball  of  gold,  in  the  sunlight. 

Yesterday  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  city.  The  streets  were  crowded 
with  infantry,  artillery  and  cavalry  soldiers,  all  actively  engaged  in 
preparing  for  the  coming  conflict.  An  engagement  seems  to  be 
close  at  hand.  Entrenchments  are  being  dug  and  batteries  erected 
in  every  direction.  The  citizens  do  not  apprehend  any  danger  from 
an  attack  by  the  enemy. 

My  regiment  has  been  attached  to  Brigadier-General   Baker'* 


LETTER  TO  HIS  MOTHER.  123 

Brigade.  It  will  be  three  weeks  to-morrow  since  I  enlisted.  I  have 
been  in  this  camp  one  week,  and  one  week  was  spent  at  Camp 
Howe,  Scarsdale,  New  York. 

We  are  being  rapidly  prepared  for  field  service.  Our  drill  is 
very  rigid,  yet  I  submit  to  the  discipline  willingly,  and  I  find  that 
hard  study  is  as  essential  to  the  composition  of  a  good  soldier  as  to 
a  good  teacher.  I  have  purchased  a  copy  of  the  "  Cavalry  Tactics," 
and  devote  every  leisure  hour  to  its  mastery.  There  is  but  one 
tiling  which  gives  me  any  serious  annoyance  now,  and  that  is  the 
question  of  the  ways  and  means  for  the  education  of  my  brothers  and 
sisters.  I  cannot  assist  them  at  present,  though  they  will  ever  have 
my  best  wishes.  I  think  Elvira  and  Marjorie  had  better  teach  this 
winter,  and  then,  if  the  war  should  be  concluded  before  next  spring, 
I  will  make  arrangements  for  their  attendance  at  school  again. 
With  kindest  love  to  all,  I  am  your  loving  and  dutiful  son, 

WlLLARD. 

About  two  months  more  were  occupied  by  the  Har- 
ris Light  in  camp-duty,  scouting  and  foraging,  but 
almost  immediately  after  their  arrival  in  Virginia, 
young  Glazier  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Corporal. 
Shortly  after  his  promotion  he  was  detailed  for  re- 
cruiting service  and  sent  to  the  city  of  New  York  for 
that  purpose.  The  great  city  was  in  a  turmoil  of  ex- 
citement. 

The  "  Tammany  "  organization  carried  things  with 
a  high  hand,  and  was  opposed  by  the  equally  powerful 
Union  League.  Between  these  two  centres  the  cur- 
rent of  public  opinion  ran  in  strong  tides.  But,  in  the 
midst  of  it  all,  the  young  corporal  was  successful  in  his 
recruiting  service,  and  on  the  second  day  of  December 
rejoined  his  comrades,  who  were  then  at  Camp  Pal- 
mer, Arlington  Heights. 

This  spot  was  one  of  peculiar  beauty.  Its  associa- 
tions were  hallowed.  There  stood  the  ancestral  home 
of  the  Lees,  whose  deserted  rooms  seemed  haunted 
with  memories  of  a  noble  race.  Its  floors  had  echoed 


124  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

to  the  tread  of  youth  and  beauty.  Its  walls  had  wit- 
nessed gatherings  of  renown.  From  its  portals  rode 
General  Lee  to  take  command  of  the  Richmond  troops 
— a  man  who  must  be  revered  for  his  qualities  of 
heart  and  remembered  especially  by  the  North  as  one 
who,  amid  all  the  fury  of  passion  which  the  war  en- 
gendered, was  never  betrayed  into  an  intemperate 
expression  towards  the  enemy.  Now,  the  halls  and 
porches  of  the  quaint  old  building  rang  with  the  tread 
of  armed  men.  Its  rooms  were  despoiled,  and  that 
atmosphere  of  desolation  which  ever  clings  about  a 
deserted  home,  enveloped  the  place.  A  winding 
roadway  under  thick  foliaged  trees,  led  down  the 
Heights  to  the  "  Long  Bridge,"  crossing  the  Potomac. 
Near  the  house  stood  an  old-fashioned  "  well  sweep  " 
which  carried  a  moss-covered  bucket  on  its  trips  down 
the  well,  to  bring  up  the  most  sparkling  of  water.  In- 
stinctively a  feeling  of  sadness  took  possession  of  the 
heart  at  the  mournful  contrast  between  the  past  and 
present  of  this  beautiful  spot. 

"Ah,  crueler  than  fire  or  flood 
Come  steps  of  men  of  alien  blood, 
And  silently  the  treacherous  air 
Closes — and  keeps  no  token,  where 
Its  dead  are  buried." 

The  day  of  trial — the  baptism  of  battle — seemed 
rapidly  approaching.  General  McClellan,  having 
drilled  and  manoeuvred  and  viewed  and  reviewed  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  until  what  had  been  little  bet- 
ter than  an  armed  and  uniformed  mob  began  to  assume 
the  aspect  of  a  body  of  regulars,  determined  upon  an 
advance  movement.  Accordingly  on  the  third  of 
March,  1862,  the  army  marched  upon  Centreville, 


GENERAL  KILPATRICK.  125 

captured  the  "  Quaker  "  guns  and,  much  to  the  disgust 
of  his  followers,  fell  back  upon  his  original  position, 
instead  of  continuing  the  advance. 

As  the  Harris  Light  enjoyed  throughout  this  cam- 
paign of  magnificent  possibilities,  the  honor  of  being 
"  Little  Mac's  "  body  guard,  they  were  of  course  during 
the  forward  movement  in  high  spirits.  They  believed 
it  to  be  the  initial  step  to  a  vigorous  campaign  in 
which  they  might  hold  the  post  of  honor.  But  when 
the  order  to  fall  back  came,  their  disappointment  was 
great  indeed.  At  first  they  were  mystified,  but  it 
soon  leaked  out  that  a  council  of  war  had  been  held 
and  that  McClellan's  plan  of  the  Peninsular  Campaign 
had  been  adopted. 

It  had  also  been  determined  that  a  section  of  the 
army  should  be  left  behind,  under  the  command  of 
General  Irvin  McDowell,  to  guard  the  approaches  to 
Washington. 

The  First  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  under  the  command 
of  General  (then  Colonel)  George  Dashiel  Bayard,  and 
the  Harris  Light,  remained  with  the  latter  force. 
Under  such  a  leader  as  Bayard,  the  men  could  have  no 
fear  of  rusting  in  inactivity.  He  was  the  soul  of  honor, 
the  bravest  of  the  brave.  No  more  gallant  spirit  ever 
took  up  the  sword,  no  kinder  heart  ever  tempered 
valor,  no  life  was  more  stainless,  no  death  could  be 
more  sad;  for  the  day  that  was  appointed  for  his  nup- 
tials closed  over  his  grave. 

Judson  Kilpatrick,  one  of  those  restless,  nervous, 
energetic  and  self-reliant  spirits  who  believe  in  them- 
selves thoroughly,  and  make  up  in  activity  what  they 
lack  in  method,  was  Colonel  of  the  Harris  Light,  and 
the  dawning  glory  of  young  Bayard's  fame  excited  a 


I  26  SWORD  -AND  PEN. 

spirit  of  emulation,  if  not  of  envy  in  his  heart,  which 
found  vent  in  a  very  creditable  desire  to  equal  or 
excel  that  leader  in  the  field.  The  brilliant  night 
attack  on  Falmouth  Heights  was  one  of  the  first 
results  of  this  rivalry,  and  as  it  was  also  the  initial 
battle  in  Corporal  Glazier's  experience,  we  give  his 
own  vivid  description  of  it  as  it  is  found  in  "Three 
Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry." 

"Our  instructions,"  he  says,  "were  conveyed  to  us 
in  a  whisper.  A  beautiful  moonlight  fell  upon  the 
scene,  which  was  as  still  as  death ;  and  with  proud 
determination  the  two  young  cavalry  chieftains  moved 
forward  to  the  night's  fray.  Bayard  was  to  attack  on 
the  main  road  in  front,  but  not  until  Kilpatrick  had 
commenced  operations  on  their  right  flank,  by  a  detour 
through  a  narrow  and  neglected  wood-path.  As  the 
Heights  were  considered  well-nigh  impregnable,  it  was 
necessary  to  resort  to  some  stratagem,  for  which  Kil- 
patrick  showed  a  becoming  aptness. 

"Having  approached  to  within  hearing  distance  of  the 
rebel  pickets,  but  before  we  were  challenged,  Kilpat- 
rick shouted  with  his  clear  voice,  which  sounded  like  a 
trumpet  on  the  still  night  air: 

"'Bring  up  your  artillery  in  the  centre,  and  infantry 
on  the  left!' 

"'Well,  but,  Colonel/  said  an  honest  but  obtuse  Cap- 
tain, '  we  haven't  got  any  inf — ' 

"'Silence  in  the  ranks!'  commanded  the  leader. 
'Artillery  in  the  centre,  infantry  on  the  left ! ' 

"  The  pickets  caught  and  spread  the  alarm  and  thus 
greatly  facilitated  our  hazardous  enterprise. 

"'Charge!'  was  the  order  which  then  thrilled  the 
ranks,  and  echoed  through  the  dark,  dismal  woods; 


PRIVATIONS  OF  A  SOLDIER.  127 

and  the  column  swept  up  the  rugged  heights  in  the 
midst  of  blazing  cannon  and  rattling  musketry. 

"So  steep  was  the  ascent  that  not  a  few  saddles  slipped 
off  the  horses,  precipitating  their  riders  into  a  creek 
which  flowed  lazily  at  the  base  of  a  hill ;  while  others 
fell  dead  and  dying,  struck  by  the  missiles  of  destruc- 
tion which  filled  the  air.  But  the  field  was  won,  and 
the  enemy,  driven  at  the  point  of  the  sabre,  fled  uncere- 
moniously down  the  heights,  through  Falmouth  and 
over  the  bridge  which  spanned  the  Kappahannock, 
burning  that  beautiful  structure  behind  them,  to  pre- 
vent pursuit." 

This  engagement,  while  otherwise  of  but  little 
importance,  was  valuable  because  it  taught  the  enemy 
that  the  Federals  could  use  the  cavalry  arm  of  the 
service  as  effectively  as  their  infantry. 

All  accounts  agree  that  Corporal  Glazier  acquitted 
himself  very  creditably  in  his  first  battle.  After  the 
action  was  over  he  accompanied  his  comrades  to  the 
field  and  contributed  his  best  aid  towards  the  care  of 
the  wounded  and  the  unburied  dead.  Such  an  experi- 
ence was  full  of  painful  contrast  to  the  quiet  scenes  of 
home  and  school  life  to  which  he  had  hitherto  been 
accustomed.  In  his  history,  as  with  thousands  of 
other  brave  boys  who  missed  death  through  many 
battles,  this  period  was  the  sharp  prelude  to  a  long 
experience  of  successive  conflicts,  of  weary  marches 
seasoned  with^hunger,  of  prison  starvation  and  the 
many  privations  which  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  soldier,  all 
glorified  when  given  freely  in  the  defence  of  liberty 
and  country. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

FIRST   BATTLE  OF   BRANDY   STATION. 

The  sentinel's  lonely  round. — General  Pope  in  command  of  the 
army. — Is  gunboat  service  effective? — First  cavalry  battlu  of 
Brandy  Station. — Under  a  rain  of  bullets. — Flipper's  orchard. — 
"  Bring  up  the  brigade,  boys  !  " — Capture  of  Confederate  prison- 
ers.— Story  of  a  revolver. — Cedar  Mountain. — Burial  of  the  dead 
rebel. — Retreat  from  the  llapidan. — The  riderless  horse. — Death 
of  Captain  Walters. 

THE  Harris  Light  now  entered  upon  exciting 
times,  and  Corporal  Glazier,  ever  at  the  post  of 
duty,  had  little  leisure  for  anything  unconnected  with 
the  exigencies  of  camp  and  field.  At  that  period  the 
men  of  both  armies  were  guilty  of  the  barbarous  prac- 
tice of  shooting  solitary  sentinels  on  their  rounds,  and 
no  man  went  on  guard  at  night  without  feeling  that  an 
inglorious  death  might  await  him  in  the  darkness, 
while  deprived  of  the  power  to  strike  a  defensive  blow, 
or  to  breathe  a  prayer. 

Ou  the  twenty-second  of  July,  1862,  a  new  com- 
mander was  assigned  the  Army  of  Virginia  in  the 
person  of  General  John  Pope.  General  McClellan 
had  lost  the  confidence  of  the  Northern  people  by  his 
continued  disasters,  and  was  at  length  superceded  by 
General  Pope,  who  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  united 
commands  of  Fremont,  Banks,  McDowell  (and  later 
in  August),  Burnside  and  Fitz-John  Porter.  General 
Pope  commenced  his  duties  with  a  ringing  address  to 
(128) 


G  UN  BO  A  T  SER  VICE.  \  29 

the  army  under  his  command.  Among  other  things, 
he  declared :  "  That  he  had  lieard  much  of  *  lines  of 
communication  and  retreat/  but  the  only  line  in  his 
opinion,  that  a  general  should  know  anything  about, 
was  the  line  of  the  enemy's  retreat"  The  dash  of  such 
a  theory  of  war  was  extremely  invigorating,  and  once 
more  the  hearts  of  the  Northern  people  cherished  and 
exulted  in  the  hope  that  they  had  found  the  "right 
man  for  the  right  place."  Popular  enthusiasm  reacted 
upon  the  arrny ;  their  idol  of  yesterday  was  dethroned, 
and  they  girded  their  loins  for  a  renewal  of  the  strug- 
gle, in  the  full  belief  that,  with  Pope  to  lead  them, 
they  would  write  a  very  different  chapter  upon  the 
page  of  History,  from  that  which  recorded  their  Pen- 
insular campaign. 

Here  we  desire  to  correct  a  statement,  then  current, 
regarding  the  value  of  the  gunboat  service,  viz.,  that 
McClellan's  army  was  indebted  for  its  safety  during 
the  retreat  from  Malvern  Hill  to  the  gunboats  stationed 
in  James  River.  That  this  was  not  the  case  is  proven 
by  the  testimony  of  L.  L.  Dabney,  chief-of-staff  to 
General  T.  J.  Jackson.  He  says :  "  It  is  a  fact 
worthy  of  note,  that  the  fire  of  the  gunboats,  so  much 
valued  by  the  Federals,  and,  at  one  time,  so  much 
dreaded  by  the  Confederates,  had  no  actual  influence 
whatever  in  the  battle.  The  noise  and  fury  doubtless 
produced  a  certain  effect  upon  the  emotions  of  the  as- 
sailants, but  this  was  dependent  upon  their  novelty. 
The  loss  effected  by  them  was  trivial  when  compared 
with  the  ravages  of  the  field  artillery  ;  and  it  was  found 
chiefly  among  their  own  friends.  Far  more  of  their 
ponderous  missiles  fell  within  their  own  lines  than 
within  those  of  the  Confederates.  Indeed,  a  fire  directed 


130  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

at  an  invisible  foe  across  two  or  three  miles  of  interven- 
ing hills  and  woods  can  never  reach  its  aim,  save  by 
accident.  Nor  is  the  havoc  wrought  by  the  larger 
projectiles  in  proportion  to  their  magnitude.  Where 
one  of  them  explodes  against  a  human  body  it  does, 
indeed,  crush  it  into  a  frightful  mass,  but  it  is  not 
more  likely  to  strike  more  men,  in  the  open  order  of 
field  operations,  than  a  shot  of  less  pounds ;  and  the 
wretch  blown  to  atoms  by  it  is  not  put  hors  de  combat 
more  effectually  than  he  whose  brain  is  penetrated  by 
half  an  ounce  of  lead  or  iron.  The  broadside  of  a 
modern  gunboat  may  consist  of  three  hundred  pounds 
of  iron  projected  by  forty  pounds  of  powder,  but  it  is 
fired  from  only  two  guns.  The  effect  upon  a  line  of 
men,  therefore,  is  but  one-fifteenth  of  that  which  the 
same  metal  might  have  had,  fired  from  ten-pounder 
rifled  guns." 

The  truth  of  the  matter  is,  that  so  far  as  offensive 
operations  in  conjunction  with  that  army  were  con- 
cerned, the  gunboats  were  more  ornate  than  useful ; 
and  it  is  not  just  that  the  modicum  of  glory  (mingled 
with  so  much  of  disaster),  won  fairly  upon  that  occasion 
by  the  land  forces,  should  be  awarded  to  another  branch 
of  the  service. 

General  Pope  was  not  permitted  to  remain  long  be- 
fore an  opportunity  offered  for  practically  testing  his 
war  theories.  McClellan's  troops  had  scarcely  re- 
covered breath  after  their  retreat  from  before  Rich- 
mond when  Lee,  leaving  his  entrenchments,  boldly 
threw  himself  forward  and  met  Pope  and  the  Union 
forces,  face  to  face  on  the  old  battle-ground  of  Man- 
assas.  The  Harris  Light,  prior  to  the  second  battle 
of  Bull  Run,  had  been  offered,  and  eagerly  accepted, 


HAND-TO-HAND  ENCOUNTER.  131 

an  opportunity  to  cross  swords  with  the  "  Southern 
chivalry/'  and  the  result  now  was  a  desperate  encounter 
at  Brandy  Station.  The  first  action  which  baptized 
in  blood  this  historic  ground  took  place  August 
twentieth,  1862.  About  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  a 
heavy  column  of  Stuart's  cavalry  was  discovered  ap- 
proaching from  the  direction  of  Culpepper,  and  Kil- 
patrick  received  orders  to  check  their  advance.  The 
Harris  Light,  acting  as  rear -guard  of  Bayard's 
brigade,  kept  the  enemy  in  check  until  Bayard  could 
form  his  command  at  a  more  favorable  point  two  miles 
north  of  the  station.  Corporal  Glazier  was  in  the 
front  rank  of  the  first  squadron  that  led  the  charge, 
and  repulsed  the  enemy.  His  horse  was  wounded  in 
the  neck,  and  his  saddle  and  canteen  perforated  with 
bullets. 

The  fight  at  Flipper's  Orchard  preceded  that  at 
Brandy  Station  by  more  than  a  month,  having  occurred 
on  the  Fourth  of  July.  The  Troy  company  of  the 
Harris  Light  had  been  ordered,  about  eight  o'clock  in 
the  morning  of  that  day,  to  reconnoitre  the  Telegraph 
Road,  south  of  Fredericksburg.  Leaving  camp,  they 
soon  came  in  sight  of  a  detachment  of  Bath  cavalry  on 
patrol  duty,  escorting  the  Richmond  mail.  They 
learned  the  strength  of  the  enemy  from  some  colored 
people  along  the  route,  and  also  the  probability  that 
they  would  halt  at  Flipper's  Orchard  for  refreshments. 
This  place  was  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Po  River, 
some  twenty  miles  from  Fredericksburg,  in  an  angle 
formed  by  the  roads  leading  to  Bull  Church  and  the 
Rappahannock.  After  following  them  for  several 
hours,  the  company  halted  for  consultation,  "and," 
says  Glazier,  "  our  lieutenant  put  the  question  to  vote, 


132  SWOMD  AND  PEN. 

whether  we  should  go  on  and  capture  the  foe,  about 
one  hundred  strong,  or  return  to  camp.  The  vote  was 
unanimous  for  battle.  I  was  in  charge  of  the  advance 
guard,  having  a  squa.d  of  four  men,  and  received  orders 
to  strike  a  gallop.  Just  as  we  came  within  sight  of 
the  Orchard,  we  saw  the  Confederates  dismounting 
and  making  leisurely  arrangements  for  their  repast. 
Dashing  spurs  into  our  horses'  flanks,  we  wheeled 
round  the  corner  and  along  the  Bull  Church  Road, 
sweeping  down  upon  them  with  tremendous  clatter. 
'Here  they  are,  boys!'  I  shouted;  'brin'g  up  the 
brigade!'  We  were  about  forty  in  number,  but  sur- 
prised them  completely,  and  they  fled  panic-stricken. 
Twelve  men  and  nine  horses  were  captured.  On 
reaching  Dr.  Flipper's  house,  I  noticed  a  dismounted 
Confederate  officer  who,  with  others,  was  running 
across  a  wheat-field.  I  started  in  hot  pursuit,  jump- 
ing my  horse  over  a  six-rail  fence  to  reach  him.  He 
fired  upon  me  with  both  carbine  and  revolver,  but 
missed  his  mark,  and  by  this  time  I  stood  over  him  with 
my  navy-revolver,  demanding  his  surrender.  He  gave 
up  his  arms  and  equipments,  which  were  speedily 
transferred  to  my  own  person.  We  made  quick  work 
of  the  fight,  the  whole  affair  lasting  not  longer  than 
fifteen  minutes.  The  Confederate  reserves  were  only 
a  short  distance  off  at  Bull  Church,  and  we  hurried 
back  with  our  spoils  towards  the  Rappahannock,  fear- 
ful that  we  might  be  overtaken.  My  prisoner,  as  I 
afterward  learned,  was  Lieutenant  Powell,  in  command 
of  the  patrol.  His  revolver  has  a  story  of  its  own.  It 
was  a  beautiful  silver-mounted  weapon,  and  I  resolved 
to  keep  possession  of  it  as  my  especial  trophy,  instead 
of  turning  it  over  to  the  Quartermaster's  Departmeut. 


A  DEAD  CONFEDERATE.  133 

This  was  not  an  easy  matter,  as  vigilant  eyes  were  on 
the  look-out  for  all  '  munitions'  of  war  captured  from 
the  enemy/  which  were  consigned  to  a  common  recep- 
tacle. I  therefore  dug  a  hole  in  the  ground  of  our  tent 
and  buried  my  treasure,  where  it  remained  until  we 
changed  our  encampment.  One  day,  some  time  after, 
I  carelessly  left  it  lying  on  a  log,  a  short  distance  from 
camp,  and  on  returning  found  it  gone.  While  I  stood 
there  deploring  my  ill  luck,  I  heard  a  succession  of 
clear,  snapping  shots  just  beyond  a  rise  of  ground  di- 
rectly in  front  of  me,  and  recognized  the  familiar  report 
of  my  revolver.  Going  in  the  direction  of  the  shots,  I 
rescued  it  from  the  hands  of  a  sergeant  by  whom  it  had 
been  temporarily  confiscated.  After  this  adventure  I 
concluded  to  incur  no  further  risks  with  the  weapon, 
and  so  packed  it  in  a  cigar-box  and  sent  it  to  my  sister 
Elvira." 

The  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain,  fought  on  the  after- 
noon of  August  ninth,  1862,  needs  only  a  passing 
notice  in  connection  with  this  record.  The  battalion 
in  which  Corporal  Glazier  served  acted  as  body-guard 
to  General  McDowell,  and  arrived  on  the  field  just 
as  the  wave  of  battle  was  receding.  The  following 
morning,  on  passing  over  the  slopes  of  Cedar  Moun- 
tain, where  the  guns  of  General  Banks  had  made  sad 
havoc  on  the  previous  day,  a  dead  Confederate  sol- 
dier, partially  unburied,  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
troopers.  At  that  period  of  the  war  a  sentiment  of 
extreme  bitterness  toward  the  adversary  pervaded  the 
ranks  on  both  sides,  and  as  the  squadron  swept  by 
the  men  showered  on  the  poor  dead  body  remarks  ex- 
pressive of  their  contempt.  Corporal  Glazier  was  an 
exception.  Moved  by  an  impulse  born  of  our  com- 


134  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

inon  humanity,  he  returned  and  buried  the  cold,  stark 
corpse,  covering  it  with  mother  Earth;  and  when 
questioned  why  he  gave  such  consideration  to  a  mis- 
erable dead  rebel,  replied,  that  he  thought  any  man 
brave  enough  to  die  for  a  principle,  should  be  re- 
spected for  that  bravery,  whether  his  cause  were  right 
or  wrong. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  the  month  our  cavalry  relieved 
the  infantry  on  the  line  of  the  Rapidan,  and  on  the 
nineteenth,  in  a  sharp  skirmish  between  Stuart's  and 
Bayard's  forces,  Captain  Charles  Walters,  of  the  Harris 
Light  Cavalry,  was  killed.  This  officer  was  very  pop- 
ular in  the  regiment,  and  his  death  cast  a  gloom  over 
all.  Wrapped  in  a  soldier's  blanket  his  body  wa& 
consigned  to  a  soldier's  grave  at  the  solemn  hour  of 
midnight.  And  while  the  sad  obsequies  were  being 
performed,  orders  came  for  the  retreat  to  Culpepper. 

"  We  buried  him  darkly  at  dead  of  night, 

The  sod  with  our  bayonets  turning, 
By  the  struggling  moonbeam's  misty  light, 
And  our  lanterns  dimly  burning. 

"Slowly  and  sadly  we  laid  him  down, 

On  the  field  of  his  fame  fresh  and  gory ; 
We  carved  not  a  line,  we  raised  not  a  stone, 
But  left  him  alone  with  his  glory." 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

MANASSAS   AND    FREDERICKSBURG. 

•ilanassas.  —  The  flying  troops.  —  The  unknown  hero.  —  Desperate  at 
tempt  to  stop  the  retreat.  —  Recruiting  the  decimated  ranks.— 
Fredericksburg.  —  Bravery  of  Meagher's  brigade.  —  The  impreg- 
nable heights.  —  The  cost  of  battles.  —  Death  of  Bayard.  —  Outline 
of  his  life. 


plains  of  Manassas  still  speak  to  us.  The 
_1_  smoke  of  battle  that  once  hung  over  them  has 
long  since  rolled  away,  but  the  blood  of  over  forty 
thousand  brave  men  of  both  North  and  South  who 
here  met,  and  fighting  fell  to  rise  no  more,  consecrates 
the  soil.  Between  them  and  us  the  grass  has  grown 
green  for  many  and  many  a  summer,  but  it  cannot 
hide  the  memory  of  their  glorious  deeds.  From  this 
altar  of  sacrifice  the  incense  yet  sweeps  heavenward. 
The  waters  of  Bull  Run  Creek  swirl  against  their 
banks  as  of  old,  and,  to  the  heedless  passer-by,  utter 
nothing  of  the  despairing  time  when  red  carnage  held 
awful  sway,  and  counted  its  victims  by  the  thousand  ; 
yet,  if  one  strays  hitherward  who  can  listen  to  the 
mystic  language  of  the  waves,  they  will  reword  their 
burden  of  death  and  of  dark  disaster  which  "  followed 
fast  and  followed  faster,"  and  at  last  overtook  the 
devoted  Northern  army,  and  made  wild  confusion  and 
wilder  flight. 

No  general  description  of  the  battle  need  be  given 
here.  That  portion  only  which  concerns  the  subject  of 
this  biography,  now  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Sergeant, 

(135^ 


136  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

will  be  set  in  the  framework  of  these '  pages.  Con- 
cerning the  part  which  he  took  in  the  action,  and 
which  occurred  under  his  own  observation,  he  says: 

"On  the  eventful  thirtieth — it  was  August,  1862  — 
our  artillery  occupied  the  crest  of  a  hill  a  short  distance 
beyond  Bull  Run  Creek,  the  cavalry  regiments  under 
Bayard  being  stationed  next,  and  the  infantry  drawn 
up  in  line  behind  the  cavalry. 

"A  short  time  before  the  battle  opened,  I  was  sent 
to  a  distant  part  of  the  field  to  deliver  an  order.  An 
ominous  stillness  pervaded  the  ranks.  The  pickets  as 
I  passed  them  were  silent,  with  faces  firmly  set  towards 
the  front,  and  the  shadow  of  coming  battle  hovered 
portentously,  like  a  cloud  with  veiled  lightnings,  over 
the  Union  lines. 

"  It  was  the  calm  which  precedes  a  storm,  and  the 
thunderbolts  of  war  fell  fast  and  heavy  when  the  storm 
at  length  broke  over  our  heads.  I  had  just  taken 
my  place  in  the  cavalry  ranks  when  a  shell  from  the 
enemy's  guns  whizzed  over  our  heads  with  a  long  and 
spiteful  shriek.  One  of  the  horses  attached  to  a 
caisson  was  in  the  path  of  the  fiery  missile,  and  the 
next  instant  the  animal's  head  was  severed  entirely 
from  his  neck.  The  deathly  silence  was  now  broken, 
and  more  shot  and  shell  followed  in  quick  succession, 
plowing  through  the  startled  air  and  falling  with 
destructive  force  among  the  Union  troops.  This  iron 
hail  from  the  guns  of  the  enemy  was  composed  in 
part  of  old  pieces  of  chain  and  broken  iron  rails,  as 
well  as  the  shot  and  shell  ordinarily  used.  Our  artillery 
soon  replied,  but  from  some  unexplained  cause  the 
Union  troops  in  this  portion  of  our  line  broke  and  fled 
in  panic  before  a  shot  had  been  fired  from  the  muskets 


AN   UNKNOWN  HERO.  137 

of  the  enemy.  This  battle,  like  the  first  Bull  Run, 
had  been  well  planned,  and  every  effort  which  good 
generalship  and  good  judgment  could  dictate  in  order 
to  insure  success,  had  been  made  by  Generals  Pope 
and  McDowell. 

"At  this  crisis  of  affairs,  the  cavalry  under  Bayard 
and  Kilpatrick  were  ordered  to  the  rear,  to  stem,  if 
possible,  the  tide  of  retreat,  but  the  effort  was  well  nigh 
fruitless.  Regiment  after  regiment  surged  by  in  one 
continuous  and  almost  resistless  wave.  A  cheer  was 
heard  to  go  up  from  the  Confederate  ranks  as  Stuart's 
cavalry  charged  us,  and  though  we  returned  the  charge 
it  did  not  stop  the  panic  which  had  taken  possession  of 
our  troops. 

"  One  of  its  causes  was  undoubtedly  the  supposition 
that  the  enemy  was  executing  a  flank  movement  on  our 
left.  In  forty-five  minutes  from  the  beginning  of  the 
battle,  this  part  of  the  army  was  in  full  retreat;  but 
the  determined  stand  made  by  Heintzelman,  and  also 
one  or  two  heroic  attempts  to  stop  the  backward- 
surging  wave,  saved  our  forces  from  utter  rout  and 
possible  capture. 

"As  soon  as  the  Union  batteries  were  taken  by  the 
enemy,  they  were  turned  upon  us,  in  addition  to  their 
own  guns,  and  afterwards,  on  came  Stuart  in  a  head- 
long charge  with  one  of  those  hideous  yells  peculiar  to 
the  Southern  'chivalry.'  With  thousands  of  others 
who  were  rapidly  retiring,  I  had  recrossed  Bull  Run 
Creek  when  my  attention  was  arrested  by  a  mounted 
officer  who  sprang  out  from  the  mass  of  flying  men, 
and  waving  his  sword  above  his  head,  called  on  every 
one,  irrespective  of  regiment,  to  rally  around  him 
and  face  the  foe.  He  wore  no  golden  leaf — no  silver 


138  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

star.  He  was  appealing  to  officers  higher  in  command 
than  himself,  who,  mixed  with  the  crowd,  were  hurry- 
ing by.  His  manner,  tense  with  excitement,  was 
strung  up  to  the  pitch  of  heroism,  and  his  presence 
was  like  an  inspiration,  as  he  stood  outside  the  mass, 
a  mark  for  the  bullets  of  the  enemy. 

"I  halted,  filled  with  admiration  for  so  noble  an  ex- 
ample of  valor,  and  then  rode  rapidly  towards  him. 
Seeing  me,  he  galloped  forward  to  meet  me  and  asked 
my  aid  in  making  a  stand  against  the  enemy. 

"'Sergeant,'  said  he,  'you  are  just  in  time.  As 
you  are  mounted,  you  can  be  of  great  service  in  rally- 
ing these  men  for  a  stand  on  this  ground.' 

"'Lieutenant,'  I  replied,  'they  will  not  listen  to 
the  wearer  of  these  chevrons.' 

" '  Tear  off  your  chevrons,'  said  this  unknown  hero, 
— '  the  infantry  will  not  know  you  from  a  field  offi- 
cer— and  get  as  many  men  to  turn  their  muskets  to 
the  front  as  you  can.' 

"'Lieutenant,'  I  responded,  'I  will  do  all  I  can  to 
help  you,'  and  the  insignia  of  non-commissioned  rank 
was  immediately  stripped  from  ray  sleeves. 

"  I  put  myself  under  his  command  and  fought  with 
him  until  he  gave  the  order  to  retire.  While  he  was 
talking  with  me  he  was  at  the  same  time  calling  on 
the  men  to  make  a  stand,  telling  them  they  could 
easily  hold  the  position.  He  seemed  to  take  in  the 
situation  at  a  glance. 

"  The  enemy  having  advanced  to  the  first  crest  of 
hills,  were  throwing  their  infantry  forward  with  full 
force,  and  with  the  three  thousand  or  more  of  men  who 
rallied  around  this  heroic  officer,  a  stand  was  made 
on  the  rising  ground  north  of  Bull  Run  from  which 


A  SOLDIER'S  TEARS.  139 

the  advance  of  the  enemy  was  opposed.  We  held 
this  position  for  half  an  hour,  which  gave  considerable 
time  for  reorganization. 

"  While  riding  along  the  line,  helping  my  un- 
known superior  as  best  I  could,  my  horse  was  shot — 
the  first  experience  of  this  kind  which  had  befallen 
me. 

"Just  as  the  disaster  was  occurring  which  culminated 
in  retreat,  General  McDowell,  on  his  white  horse,  gal- 
loped up  to  the  guns  behind  which  Heintzelman  was 
blazing  destruction  on  the  Confederates.  Alighting 
from  his  horse  he  sighted  the  guns  and  gave  a  per- 
sonal superintendence  to  this  part  of  the  action.  An 
artillery  captain,  standing  by  his  battery  while  his 
horses  were  shot  down,  his  pieces  in  part  disabled, 
and  the  infantry  deserting  him,  shed  tears  in  conse- 
quence. 

" '  You  need  not  feel  badly  over  this  affair/  said 
the  general,  'General  McDowell  is  responsible  for 
this  misfortune.  Stand  by  your  guns  as  long  as  you 
can.  IF  the  general  is  blamed,  your  bravery  will  be 
praised/ 

"  Was  there  a  touch  of  irony  in  this  remark  which 
met  in  advance  the  grumblings  and  questionings 
of  the  future?  Was  it  the  sarcasm  of  a  man  who, 
having  done  his  utmost,  could  not  yet  prevent  dis- 
aster, and  who  knew  that  an  unthinking  public  some- 
times measured  loyalty  by  success? 

"Later  in  the  day  our  regiment — the  'Harris  Light 
Cavalry' — lost  a  squadron.  Most  of  them  were 
killed. 

"  In  the  deepening  twilight  we  charged  the  enemy  just 
as  they  were  forming  for  a  similar  attack  on  us.  They 


140  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

were  compelled  to  halt,  and  Pope  was  thus  enabled 
to  discover  their  position  and  arrange  for  the  next 
day's  defence. 

"On  the  night  of  the  thirtieth,  the  enemy  occupied 
the  battle-field  and  buried  the  dead  of  both  armies. 
And  thus  it  was  that  Bull  Run  again  ran  red  with 
patriot  blood  and  witnessed  the  retreat  of  the  Union 
battalions. 

"  By  what  strange  fatality  General  Pope  was  allowed 
to  struggle  on  alone  against  an  army  twice  the  size  of 
the  Federal  force,  has  not  been  satisfactorily  explained. 
One  is  almost  tempted  to  believe,  with  astrologists, 
that  baleful  stars  sometimes  preside  with  malign  influ- 
ence over  the  destinies  of  battles,  as  they  are  said  to  do 
over  individuals  and  nations." 

After  the  battle  of  Manassas,  the  Harris  Light  Cav- 
alry was  so  reduced  in  material  that  it  was  ordered 
into  camp  at  Hall's  Hill,  near  Washington,  with  a 
view  of  recruiting  its  wasted  strength  and  numbers. 
They  remained  at  that  point  until  November^  when 
they  were  again  moved  forward  to  form  the  principal 
picket  line  along  the  front,  prior  to  the  Federal  disas- 
ter at  Fredericksburg. 

Burnside,  having  strongly  secured  the  mountain 
passes  in  the  neighborhood,  in  order  to  conceal  from 
Lee  his  real  object,  made  a  feint  in  the  direction  of 
Gordonsville  ;  but  the  keen  eye  of  the  Confederate  gen- 
eralissimo penetrated  his  true  design  and  took  measures 
to  defeat  its  accomplishment.  Upon  the  eighth  of  this 
month,  a  lively  encounter  between  the  Harris  Light  and 
a  detachment  of  Confederate  cavalry  resulted  in  the 
defeat  of  the  latter,  and  soon  after,  the  regiment 
joined  the  main  army. 


A  FATAL  ERROR.  141 

As  all  know,  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  was 
fought  and  lost  during  the  three  days  intervening  be- 
tween the  thirteenth  and  sixteenth  of  December. 
Burnside's  gallant  army,  in  the  midst  of  darkness, 
rain  and  tempestuous  wind,  came  reeling  back  from  a 
conflict  of  terrible  ferocity  and  fatality.  Six  times  in 
one  day  Meagher's  gallant  Irishmen  were  literally 
hurled  against  Marye's  Heights,  a  point  of  almost  im- 
pregnable strength,  and  which,  even  if  carried,  would 
still  have  exposed  them  to  the  commanding  fire  of 
other  and  stronger  Confederate  positions. 

Twenty  times  had  charge  and  counter-charge  swept 
the  tide  of  battle  to  and  fro — at  what  terrible  cost,  the 
killed  and  wounded,  strewing  the  ground  like  leaves 
in  the  forest,  made  answer.  Twelve  thousand  men  lay 
dead  on  the  field  when  the  battle  ended,  and  one 
thousand  prisoners  were  taken,  besides  nine  thousand 
stand  of  arms. 

Although  this  battle  seems  to  have  been  well  planned 
by  General  Burnside,  a  want  of  capacity  to  meet  un- 
foreseen emergencies  doubtless  contributed  to  his  defeat. 
He  committed  a  fatal  error  at  a  critical  moment,  by 
sending  General  Franklin  an  equivocal  recommenda- 
tion, instead  of  an  order  to  attack  the  enemy  in  force. 
The  enemy,  however,  though  having  nobly  held  their 
ground,  could  not  boast  of  having  advanced  their  lines 
by  so  much  as  a  foot.  There  were,  indeed,  but  few 
even  of  the  Confederate  officers,  who  knew  they  had 
been  victorious,  and  the  amazement  of  their  army  was 
beyond  description  when  the  gray  dawn  of  the  four- 
teenth of  December  revealed  the  deserted  camps  of  the 
Federals,  who  had  withdrawn  their  entire  command 
during  the  night  to  the  north  side  of  the  river. 


142  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Had  General  Franklin  brought  his  men  into  action, 
as  he  should  have  done,  at  the  critical  moment  when 
the  issue  of  the  fight  was  trembling  in  the  balance,  the 
fortunes  of  this  day  would  have  terminated  differently. 
Had  the  splendid  divisions  of  brave  Phil.  Kearney  or 
"  Fighting  Joe.  Hooker"  been  ordered  into  the  arena, 
and  lent  the  inspiration  of  their  presence  to  this  hour 
of  need,  the  scales  of  victory  would  have  turned  in  an 
opposite  direction. 

The  "  might  have  beens"  always  grow  thickly  from 
the  soil  of  defeat. 

Among  the  lamented  dead  of  this  day's  havoc,  no  loss 
was  more  keenly  felt  than  that  of  Major-General  George 
Dashiel  Bayard.  He  was  standing  among  a  group  of 
officers  around  the  trunk  of  an  old  tree,  near  the  head- 
quarters of  Generals  Franklin  and  Smith,  when  the 
enemy  suddenly  began  to  shell  a  battery  near  by,  and 
one  of  the  deadly  missiles  struck  this  gallant  leader. 
He  was  carried  to  the  field-hospital,  mortally  wounded. 

Quietly  turning  to  the  surgeon  who  examined  his 
ghastly  wounds,  he  asked  "if  there  was  any  hope." 
On  being  informed  that  there  was  none,  he  proceeded 
with  undisturbed  composure,  and  without  a  murmur 
of  pain,  to  dictate  three  letters.  One  of  these  was  to 
his  affianced  bride.  This  day,  it  was  said,  had  been 
appointed  for  his  wedding.  The  time-hands  marked 
the  hour  of  eight  when  this  letter  was  finished,  and,  as 
he  uttered  its  closing  words,  his  spirit  fled  from  the 
shattered  body  and  left  it  only  cold  and  tenantless  clay. 
He  was  but  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  of  prepossessing 
appearance  and  manners,  with  as  brave  a  soul  as  ever 
defended  the  flag  of  the  Union,  and  a  capacity  for 
military  usefulness  equal  to  any  man  in  the  service. 


OUTLINES  OF  BAYARD'S  LIFE.  143 

Gradually  he  had  arisen  from  one  position  of  honor 
and  responsibility  to  another,  proving  himself  tried 
and  true  in  each  promotion,  while  his  cavalry  comrades 
especially  were  watching  the  developments  of  his 
growing  power  with  unabating  enthusiasm. 

Briefly,  the  outlines  of  his  history  are  as  follows: 

He  was  born  December  eighteenth,  1835,  at  Seneca 
Falls,  New  York,  from  whence,  in  1842,  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Fairfield,  Iowa.  From  this  place 
he  went  to  the  Dorris  Military  Institute  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  where  he  remained  eighteen  months. 

The  family  then  removed  to  the  East,  and  settled  at 
Morristown,  New  Jersey.  From  Morristown,  he  en- 
tered West  Point  Academy.  When  twenty  years  of 
age,  he  graduated  with  the  highest  honors,  and,  strange 
to  say,  it  was  through  the  offices  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  then  Secretary  of  War,  that  he  was  at  once 
assigned  to  a  cavalry  regiment  as  second  lieutenant. 
His  subsequent  career,  so  full  of  brilliance  and  the 
true  spirit  of  heroism,  is  better  known  to  the  country. 

Watered  by  the  dews  of  hallowed  remembrance,  his 
fame,  as  a  sweet  flower,  still  exhales  its  fragrance,  and 
finds  rich  soil  in  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

"How  sleep  the  brave  who  sink  to  rest, 
By  all  their  country's  wishes  blest  ? 
When  Spring,  with  dewy  fingers  cold, 
Returns  to  deck  their  hallowed  mould, 
She  there  shall  dress  a  sweeter  sod 
Than  Fancy's  feet  have  ever  trod. 

"  By  fairy  hands  their  knell  is  rung, 
By  forms  unseen  their  dirge  is  sung, 
There  Honor  conies,  a  pilgrim  gray, 
To  bless  the  turf  that  wraps  their  clay. 
And  Freedom  shall  awhile  repair, 
To  dwell  a  weeping  hermit  there." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

UNWRITTEN   HISTORY. 

"What  boots  a  weapon  in  a  withered  hand?" — A  thunderbolt 
wasted. — War  upon  hen-roosts. — A  bit  of  unpublished  history. — 
A  fierce  fight  with  Hampton's  cavalry. — "In  one  red  burial 
blent."— From  camp  to  home. — Troubles  never  come  singly.— The 
combat — The  capture. — A  superfluity  of  Confederate  politeness. 
— Lights  and  shadows. 

WHILE  the  events  we  have  narrated  were  occur- 
ring, the  "  Harris  Light "  was  not  idle. 
Under  the  command  of  their  favorite  Kilpatrick,  they 
made  a  dashing  raid,  and  completely  encircled  the 
rebels  under  Lee,  penetrating  to  within  seven  miles  of 
Richmond.  Such  duties  as  were  assigned  them  were 
effectively  performed,  and  yet,  General  Hooker's 
object  in  detaching  his  cavalry  from  the  main  army 
remained  unaccomplished,  either  by  reason  of  General 
Stoneman's  want  of  comprehension,  or  want  of  energy. 
This  general,  instead  of  hurling  his  thirteen  thousand 
troopers  like  a  thunderbolt  upon  the  body  of  the  Con- 
federates, divided  and  frittered  away  the  strength 
under  his  command  by  detaching  and  scattering  it  into 
mere  scouting  parties,  to  "  raid  on  smoke-houses  and 
capture  hen-roosts."  General  Hooker  was  very  natu- 
rally exasperated  by  this  conduct.  The  detachment  from 
the  main  army  of  such  a  splendid  body  of  horse,  was 
a  measure  he  had  taken  after  mature  deliberation,  and 
with  the  view  of  cutting  off  Lee's  communications  with 
Richmond ;  thus  precluding  the  possibility  of  his  being 
(144) 


A  BIT  OF  UNPUBLISHED  HISTORY.         145 

reinforced    during  the  grand    attack    which    Hooker 
contemplated  upon  that  leader  at  Chancelorsville. 

The  Federal  general  attributed  the  loss  of  that  battle 
in  a  great  degree  to  Stoneman's  failure  to  carry  out  the 
spirit  of  his  orders.  In  a  letter  to  the  author,  long 
after  that  field  of  carnage  had  bloomed  and  blossomed 
with  the  flowers  and  fruits  of  Peace,  when  the  heart- 
burning and  fever  engendered  by  the  contest  had  sub- 
sided, and  it  was  possible  to  obtain  access  to  men's 
judgments,  General  Hooker  wrote :  "  Soon  after  Stone- 
wall Jackson  started  to  turn  my  right  (a  project  of 
which  I  was  informed  by  a  prisoner),  I  despatched  a 
courier  to  my  right  corps  commander  informing  him 
of  the  intended  movement,  and  instructing  him  to  put 
himself  in  readiness  to  receive  the  attack.  This  dis- 
patch was  dated  at  nine  o'clock  A.  M.,  and  yet,  when 
'  Stonewall '  did  attack,  the  men  of  this  corps  had  their 
arms  stacked  some  distance  from  them,  and  were  busily 
engaged  in  cooking  their  supper.  When  the  attack 
came  these  men  ran  like  a  flock  of  sheep.  This,  in  a 
wooded  country,  where  a  corps  ought  to  be  able  to 
check  the  advance  of  a  large  army.  To  make  this 
more  clear,  I  must  tell  you  that  the  corps  commander, 
General  Howard,  received  the  dispatch  while  on  his 
bed,  and,  after  reading  it,  put  it  in  his  pocket,  where 
it  remained  until  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  with- 
out communicating  its  contents  to  his  division  com- 
mander, or  to  any  one ! ! !  My  opinion  is  that  not  a 
gun  of  ours  was  fired  upon  Stonewall  Jackson's  force 
until  he  had  passed  nearly  into  the  centre  of  my  army. 
Judge,  if  you  can,  of  the  consternation  throughout  that 
army  caused  by  this  exhibition  of  negligence  and 
cowardice.  One  word  more,  in  regard  to  the  cavalry. 


146  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

I  had  to  have,  under  the  seniority  rule  of  the  service, 
a  wooden  man  for  its  commander.  If  you  will  turn  to 
the  first  volume  of  the  Report  of  the  Committee  on 
the  Conduct  of  the  War,  you  will  find  my  instructions 
to  General  Stoneman,  and  then  you  will  see  the  mis- 
take that  I  made  in  informing  him  of  the  strength  and 
position  of  the  enemy  he  would  be  likely  to  encounter 
on  his  raid,  as  that  officer  only  made  use  of  the  infor- 
mation to  avoid  the  foe.  He  traveled  at  night,  made 
extensive  detours,  and  did  not  interrupt  the  traffic  on 
the  railroads  between  Lee's  army  and  Richmond  for  a 
single  day.  As  he  was  charged  to  make  this  duty  his 
especial  object  of  accomplishment  over  all  others,  he 
had  twelve  thousand  sabres,  double  the  force  the  enemy 
could  collect  from  all  quarters.  I  had  men  enough 
with  me  to  have  won  Chancelorsville  without  the  cav- 
alry and  other  corps,  but  of  what  use  could  a  field  of 
battle  have  been  to  me  when  the  enemy  could  fall  back 
a  few  miles  and  post  himself  on  a  field  possessing  still 
greater  advantages  to  him?  General  Grant  did  this, 
and  is  entitled  to  all  the  merit  of  his  soldiership  from  a 
grateful  country.  I  believe  if  he  had  sacrificed  every 
officer  and  soldier  of  his  command  in  the  attainment 
of  this  object,  the  country  would  have  applauded  him. 
When  I  crossed  the  Rappahannock  I  aimed  to  capture 
General  Lee's  whole  army  and  thus  end  the  war,  by 
manoeuvring,  and  not  by  butchery." 

While  his  superior  in  command  did  little  that  was 
practically  useful  with  the  cavalry,  Kilpatrick  covered 
his  little  band  with  glory,  and  gave  the  people  of  Rich- 
mond a  scare  as  great  as  Stuart  administered  to  our 
Quaker  friends  in  Pennsylvania  during  his  famous 
foray  into  the  border  counties  of  the  Keystone  State. 


THE  "HARRIS  LIGHT"  AT  ALDIE.  147 

Their  return  was  almost  immediately  followed  by  the 
second  grand  cavalry  battle  of  Brandy  Station,  June 
ninth,  1863,  a  struggle  as  hotly  contested  as  any 
that  occurred  during  the  war.  In  this  encounter 
Sergeant  Willard  Glazier  took  part,  leading  the  first 
platoon  of  the  first  battalion  that  crossed  the  Rappa- 
hannock.  Matters  were  now  assuming  a  warlike  aspect. 
The  Valley  of  the  Shenaudoah  groaned  beneath  the 
tramp  of  the  main  army  of  the  Confederacy,  under 
Lee.  The  Federal  general,  Pleasanton,  and  the  Con- 
federate general,  Stuart,  were  in  fierce  conflict  among 
the  Blue  Ridge  mountains. 

At  Aldie,  on  the  seventeenth  of  June,  1863,  the 
"Harris  Light"  led  the  division  under  Kilpatrick, 
Glazier's  squadron  again  being  the  advance  guard,  his 
place  at  the  head  of  the  long  column  which  wound 
down  the  road.  As  they  came  upon  Aldie,  the  ene- 
my's advance,  under  W.  H.  F.  Lee,  was  unexpectedly 
encountered.  But  Kilpatrick  was  equal  to  the  occa- 
sion. Dashing  to  the  front,  his  voice  rang  out,  "  Form 
platoons!  trot!  march!"  Down  through  the  streets 
they  charged,  and  along  the  Middleburg  Road,  leading 
over  the  low  hill  beyond.  This  position  was  gained 
so  quickly  and  gallantly  that  Fitzhugh  Lee,  taken  by 
surprise,  made  no  opposition  to  the  brilliant  advance, 
though  immediately  afterward  he  fought  for  two  hours 
to  regain  the  lost  position,  while  the  guns  of  his  bat- 
teries blazed  destruction  upon  the  Federal  cavalry. 
The  latter,  however,  handsomely  repelled  the  attack. 

On  the  crest  of  the  hill  there  was  a  field  of  haystacks, 
inclosed  in  a  barricade  of  rails.  Behind  these  the 
enemy  occupied  a  strong  position,  and  their  sharp- 
shooters had  annoyed  Kilpatrick's  lines  to  such  an  ex- 


148  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

tent  as  to  prevent  their  advance  on  the  left.  It  was 
well  known  to  the  officers  of  the  "  Harris  Light"  that 
their  regiment  had  not  met  Kilpatrick's  expectations 
on  the  field  of  Brandy  Station,  and  on  the  morning 
of  this  battle  they  had  asked  their  general  for  "an 
opportunity  to  retrieve  their  reputation."  This  chance 
came  soon  enough.  Kilpatrick,  ordering  forward  a 
battalion  of  the  "Harris  Light,"  and  giving  the  men 
a  few  words  of  encouragement,  turned  to  Major  Mc- 
Irvin  and  pointing  to  the  field  of  haystacks,  said : 
"Major,  there  is  the  opportunity  you  ask  for!  Go 
take  that  position ! "  Away  dashed  the  "  Harris 
Light,"  and  in  a  moment  the  enemy  was  reached  and 
the  struggle  began.  The  horses  could  not  leap  the 
barricade,  the  men  dismounted,  scaled  the  barriers, 
and  with  drawn  sabres  rushed  furiously  upon  the 
hidden  foe,  who  quickly  called  for  quarter.  Aldie 
was  by  far  the  most  bloody  cavalry  battle  of  the  war. 
The  rebel  "chivalry"  was  beaten;  Kilpatrick  from 
this  moment  took  a  proud  stand  among  the  most 
famous  of  the  Union  cavalry  generals,  and  the  fame 
of  the  regiment  was  greatly  enhanced.  To  quote  our 
young  soldier  in  "Battles  for  the  Union:"  "Many  a 
brave  soul  suffered  death's  sad  eclipse  at  Aldie,  and 
many  escaped  the  storm  of  bullets  when  to  escape  was 
miraculous.  In  looking  back  upon  that  desperate 
day,  I  have  often  wondered  by  what  strange  fatality  I 
passed  through  its  rain  of  fire  unhurt;  but  the  field 
which  brought  a  harvest  of  death  to  so  many  others 
marked  an  era  in  my  own  humble,  military  history, 
which  I  recall  with  pride  and  pleasure,  for  from  the 
Battle  of  Aldie  I  date  my  first  commission.  The  mantle 
of  rank  which  fell  from  one  whom  death  had  garnered 


A   TERRIFIC  ENCOUNTER.  149 

on  that  ground  dropped  upon  ray  shoulders,  and  I  was 
proud  and  grateful  to  wear  it  in  my  country's  service. 
I  feel  proud  also  of  having  been  a  participant  in  the 
'  Battle  of  the  Haystacks/  where  the  glorious  squad- 
rons of  the  'Harris  Light'  swept  into  the  mad  con- 
flict with  the  same  invincible  bravery  that  distinguished 
them  on  the  field  of  Brandy  Station.  Every  soldier 
of  the  saddle  who  there  fought  under  Kilpatrick  may 
justly  glory  in  the  laurels  won  at  Aldie." 

In  the  same  month  followed  the  engagements  of 
Middleburg  and  Upperville,  in  each  of  which  the 
"  Harris  Light "  participated  with  great  6clat,  charg- 
ing in  face  of  the  enemy's  guns,  forming  in  platoon 
under  fire,  and  routing  him  in  splendid  style.  At 
Upperville,  Kilpatrick  received  orders  to  charge  the 
town.  With  drawn  sabres  and  shouts  which  made 
the  mountains  and  plains  resound,  they  rushed  upon 
the  foe.  The  encounter  was  terrific.  The  enemy's 
horse  were  driven  through  the  village  of  Paris,  and 
finally  through  Ash  by 's  Gap  upon  their  own  infantry 
columns  in  the  Shcnandoah  Valley.  At  Rector's 
Cross-Roads,  where  Kilpatrick  ordered  the  "  Harris 
Light"  to  charge  the  enemy's  battery,  as  they  were 
forming,  a  fatal  bullet  pierced  Glazier's  horse,  and  it 
fell  dead  under  him.  Fortunately  he  was  not  dragged 
down  in  the  fall,  and  as  he  struck  the  ground  a  rider- 
less horse  belonging  to  an  Indiana  company  came  up. 
Its  owner,  a  sergeant,  had  been  shot  dead,  and,  rap- 
idly mounting,  Lieutenant  Glazier  rode  forward  with 
his  regiment  as  they  valiantly  charged  the  enemy's 
position. 

These  actions  were  succeeded  by  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg (July  first,  second  and  third),  in  which  the 


150  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

disasters  of  Chancelorsville  and  Fredericksburg  were 
fully  retrieved,  and  the  rebel  array,  under  Lee,  re- 
ceived a  blow  so  staggering  in  its  effects  as  to  result 
in  a  loss  of  prestige,  and  all  hope  in  the  ultimate  suc- 
cess of  their  cause.  Prior  to  this  battle  the  Con- 
federates had  warred  upon  the  North  aggressively; 
thenceforward  they  were  compelled  to  act  upon  the 
defensive.  During  the  progress  of  this  great  and  (so 
far  as  the  ultimate  fate  of  the  Confederacy  was  con- 
cerned) decisive  battle,  the  cavalry,  including  the 
brigade  to  which  our  subject  was  attached,  performed 
brilliant  service.  They  held  Stuart's  force  effectually 
at  bay,  and  while  the  retreat  of  the  rebel  army  was 
in  progress  their  services  were  in  constant  requisition. 
On  the  first  day  of  the  battle,  General  John  Buford, 
commanding  the  Third  Cavalry  Division,  was  in  posi- 
tion on  the  Chambersburg  Pike,  about  two  miles  west 
of  the  village.  Early  in  the  forenoon  the  vanguard 
of  the  rebel  army  appeared  in  front  of  them,  and  our 
dauntless  troopers  charged  the  enemy  vigorously,  and 
drove  them  back  upon  their  reserves. 

The  second  day  of  the  battle  was  spent  by  the 
cavalry  in  hard,  bold  and  bloody  work,  in  collision 
with  their  old  antagonists,  Stuart,  Lee  and  Hampton. 
Charge  succeeded  charge ;  the  carbine,  pistol  and  sabre 
were  used  by  turns;  the  artillery  thundering  long 
after  the  infantry  around  Gettysburg  had  sunk  to  rest 
exhausted  with  the  carnage  of  the  weary  day.  Stuart, 
however,  was  driven  back  on  his  supports,  and  badly 
beaten. 

Upon  the  third  day  the  sun  rose  bright  and  warm  upon 
the  bleached  forms  of  the  dead  strewn  over  the  san- 
guinary field;  upon  the  wounded, and  upon  long, glisten- 


GETTYSBURG.  151 

ing  lines  of  armed  men  ready  to  renew  the  conflict. 
Each  antagonist,  rousing  every  element  of  power, 
seemed  resolved  upon  victory  or  death.  Finally  vic- 
tory saluted  the  Union  banners,  and  with  great  loss  the 
rebel  army  sounded  the  retreat.  "  Thus,"  says  Glazier 
in  his  "Battles  for  the  Union"— "the  Battle  of  Gettys- 
burg ended — the  bloody  turning-point  of  the  rebellion 
— the  bloody  baptism  of  the  redeemed  republic. 
Nearly  twenty  thousand  men  from  the  Union  ranks 
had  been  killed  and  wounded,  and  a  larger  number  of 
the  rebels,  making  the  enormous  aggregate  of  at  least 
forty  thousand,  whose  blood  was  shed  to  fertilize  the 
Tree  of  Liberty." 

During  this  sanguinary  battle,  the  cavalry  were  in 
daily  and  hourly  conflict  with  the  enemy's  well-trained 
horse  under  their  respective  dashing  leaders.  The 
sabre  was  no  "  useless  ornament,"  but  a  deadly  weapon, 
and  "dead  cavalrymen"  and  their  dead  chargers,  were 
sufficiently  numerous  to  have  drawn  forth  an  exclama- 
tion of  approval  from  even  so  exacting  a  commander  as 
"Fighting  Joe  Hooker."  Haggerstown,  Boonsboro', 
Williamsport  and  Falling  Waters,  all  attested  the  great 
efficiency  of  the  cavalry  arm,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
month  it  was  an  assured,  confident  and  capable  body  of 
dragoons,  that,  according  to  Captain  Glazier,  "crossed 
the  Rapidan  for,  as  they  believed,  the  purpose  of  a 
continued  advance  movement  against  the  enemy." 

And  here,  parenthetically,  we  may  observe,  that  he, 
and  other  recent  writers  (Mr.  Lossing  being  an  excep- 
tion), are  scarcely  accurate  in  so  designating  the  river 
crossed  by  them  as  the  Rapidan.  It  was  the  chief 
tributary  of  the  Rappahannock,  while  two  sister  streams, 
which  together  form  the  Para uu key,  are  known  to  local 
topography  as  the  North  and  South  Rapid  Anna  rivers. 


152  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

It  was  a  pleasant  locality,  and  the  "  Harris  Light " 
encamped  there  for  several  weeks,  having  no  occupation 
more  exciting  or  belligerent  than  picket  duty.  Duties 
of  a  more  stirring  character,  were,  however,  awaiting 
them,  and  as  these  are  intimately  associated  with  the 
career  of  the  subject  of  this  history,  the  delineation  of 
whose  life  is  the  purpose  of  the  writer,  we  will  give 
them  something  more  than  a  cursory  notice. 

We  will  first,  however,  take  the  opportunity  of  intro- 
ducing a  letter  from  our  young  cavalryman  to  his 
parents,  illustrative  in  some  measure  of  his  intelligence 
and  soldierly  qualities,  while  it  is  no  less  so  of  his 
sense  of  filial  duty : 


IT,) 

163.  J 


Headquarters  Harris  Light  Cavalry, 
Near  HAKTWOOD  CHURCH,  VA. 

August  22d,  1863. 
DEAR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER: 

Another  birthday  has  rolled  around,  and  finds  me  still  in  the 
army.  Two  years  have  passed  since  we  were  lying  quietly  in  camp 
near  Washington.  Little  did  I  think  at  that  time  that  the  insur- 
rection, which  was  then  in  process  of  organization,  was  of  such 
mighty  magnitude  as  to  be  able  to  continue  in  its  treacherous  de- 
signs until  ROW.  Newspaper  quacks  and  mercenary  correspondents 
kept  facts  from  the  public,  and  published  falsehoods  in  their  stead. 
Experience  has  at  last  taught  us  the  true  state  of  things,  and  we  now 
feel  that  the  great  work  of  putting  down  the  rebellion  is  to  be  ac- 
complished only  by  energy,  perseverance  and  unity.  Our  cause 
never  looked  more  favorable  than  to-day.  It  is  no  longer  a  rumor 
that  Vicksburg  and  Port-Hudson  have  fallen,  but  a  stern  reality,  an 
actual  and  glorious  victory  to  our  arms,  and  a  sure  exposure  of  the 
waning  strength  of  the  ill-fated  Confederacy.  Charleston  and  Mo- 
bile must  soon  follow  the  example  of  the  West,  and  then  the  Array 
of  the  Potomac  will  strike  the  final  blow  in  Virginia. 

Kilpatrick's  cavalry  is  now  watching  the  movements  of  the 
enemy  on  the  Rappahannock — his  head -quarters  being  near  Hart- 
wood  Church.  I  have  seen  nothing  that  would  interest  you  much, 
save  a  few  expeditions  amongst  the  bushwhackers  of  Stafford  County. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  you  to  learn  that  I  have  just  been 
promoted  to  a  lieutenancy,  my  commission  to  date  from  the  seven- 


GENERAL  MEADE.  153 

teenth  of  June.  I  have  received  four  successive  promotions  since 
my  enlistment.  Your  son  can  boast  that  his  Colonel  says  he  has 
earned  his  commission.  Political  or  monied  influence  has  had 
nothing  to  do  with  it.  I  have  been  in  command  of  a  platoon  or 
company  ever  since  the  thirteenth  of  last  April,  and  have  very  fre- 
quently been  in  charge  of  a  squadron.  I  conclude  by  asking  you  to 
remember  me  kindly  to  all  my  friends. 

And  believe  me,  as  ever,  your  dutiful  son, 

WILLABD. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  greater  part  of  the 
spring  of  this  year  (1803),  that  is,  from  the  time  the 
Federal  army  moved  from  its  winter-quarters  in  Staf- 
ford and  King  George  counties,  and  all  the  early  sum- 
mer, were  passed  by  the  belligerent  forces  in  eiforts  to 
compel  their  adversaries  to  fall  back  on  their  respec- 
tive capitals.  The  people  and  the  press  on  both  sides 
were  clamoring  for  the  accomplishment  of  something 
definite,  and  when  Vicksburg  fell,  and  on  the  stricken 
field  of  Gettysburg,  victory  perched  upon  the  Union 
banners,  our  hopes  seemed  on  the  point  of  realization, 
but  the  fall  of  the  leaf  found  the  hostile  armies  still 
confronting  each  other.  Lee's  force,  though  fear- 
fully shattered,  maintained  its  organization,  and  to 
all  appearance  had  lost  little  of  its  former  self-con- 
fidence. General  Meade,  perhaps  the  most  scientific 
strategist  of  all  the  generals  who  had  held  the  chief 
command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  severely 
criticised,  simply  because  he  declined  by  "raw  Haste, 
half-sister  to  Delay,"  to  hazard  the  ultimate  fruition  of 
his  well-laid  plans;  and  Captain  Glazier,  it  must  be 
admitted,  was  one  of  his  adverse  critics.  We  think  the 
censure  was  uncalled  for.  Wellington  had  but  one 
Waterloo,  and  although  to  him  was  due  the  victory,  it 
was  the  fresh  army  of  Blucher  that  pursued  the  retreat- 


154  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

ing  French,  and  made  defeat  irretrievable.  But  when- 
ever Lee,  or  McClellan,  Jackson,  or  Meade  obtained  a 
hard-earned  victory,  the  people,  on  either  side,  were 
dissatisfied  because  their  triumph  was  not  followed  up 
by,  at  once  and  forever,  annihilating  the  foe ! 


CHAPTER  XV. 

FROM    BATTLE-FIELD   TO    PRISON. 

A.  situation  to  try  the  stoutest  hearts. — Hail  Columbia ! — Every  man 
a  hero. — Kilpatrick's  ingenuity. — A  pen-picture  from  "  Soldiers  of 
the  Saddle." — Glazier  thanked  by  his  general. — Cessation  of  hos- 
tilities.— A  black  day. — Fitzhugh  Lee  proposes  to  crush  Kil- 
patrick.-"Kil's"audacity.-Capture  of  Lieutenant  Glazier. — Petty 
tyranny. — ''  Here,  Yank,  hand  me  that  thar  hat,  and  overcoat, 
and  boots." 

AT  this  period  of  the  war,  the  cavalry  was  sepa- 
rated iuto  three  divisions.  Buford  with  his 
division  fell  back  by  the  way  of  Stevensburg,  and 
Gregg  by  Sulphur  Springs ;  leaving  Kilpatrick  with 
the  brigades  of  Custer  and  Davies,  which  included  the 
"Harris  Light,"on  the  main  thoroughfare  along  the 
railroad  line.  "  No  sooner,"  says  Glazier,  "  had  Kil- 
patrick moved  out  of  Culpepper,  than  Hampton's 
cavalry  division  made  a  furious  attack  upon  the 
'  Harris  Light/  then  acting  as  rear-guard,  with  the 
evident  design  of  breaking  through  upon  the  main  col- 
umn to  disperse,  or  delay  it,  so  as  to  enable  a  flanking 
force  to  intercept  our  retreat.  Gallantly  repelling  this 
assault,  the  command,  on  the  eleventh  of  October, 
advanced  to  Brandy  Station,  where  an  accumulation 
of  formidable  difficulties  threatened  our  annihilation." 
It  appears  that  Fitzhugh  Lee,  with  the  flower  of  the 
Confederate  cavalry,  had  possession  of  the  only  road 
upon  which  it  was  possible  for  Kilpatrick  to  retire, 
while  Stuart,  at  the  head  of  another  body  of  cavalry, 
supported  by  artillery  well  posted  on  a  long  line  of 

(165) 


156  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

hills,  completely  covered  the  Federal  left.  His  right 
was  exposed  to  a  galling  fire  from  sharp-shooters  hid- 
den behind  the  forest ;  "  while  just  behind  them  was 
Hampton's  legion  threatening  speedy  destruction  to 
its  surrounded  foe."  Here  was  a  situation  to  try  the 
stoutest  hearts.  Nothing  daunted,  however,  by  this 
terrific  array  of  an  enemy  very  much  his  superior  in 
numbers,  Kilpatrick  displayed  that  decision  and  dar- 
ing which  ever  characterized  him.  "His  preparations 
for  a  grand  charge,"  for  he  had  determined  to  cut  his 
way  out  of  this  cul-de-sac,  "  were  soon  completed. 
Forming  his  division  into  three  lines  of  battle,  he 
assigned  the  right  to  General  Da  vies,  the  left  to 
General  Custer;  and  placing  himself,  with  General 
Pleasanton,  in  the  centre,  advanced  with  terrible  de- 
termination to  the  contest.  Approaching  to  within  a 
few  yards  of  the  enemy's  lines,  he  ordered  the  band  to 
strike  up  a  national  air,  to  whose  stirring  strains  was 
added  the  blast  of  scores  of  bugles  ringing  out  the 
'  charge.'  Brave  hearts  became  braver,  and  weak  ones 
waxed  stronger,  until  '  pride  of  country  had  touched 
this  raging  sea  of  thought,  and  emotion  kindled  an 
unconquerable  principle  that  affirmed  every  man  a 
hero  until  death.' "  The  troops  filled  the  air  with 
their  battle-cry,  and  hurled  themselves  on  their  un- 
equal foe.  "So  swiftly  swept  forward  this  tide  of 
animated  power  that  the  Confederates  broke  and  fled, 
and  Kilpatrick  thus  escaped  a  disaster  which  had 
seemed  inevitable." 

"  No  one  " — we  quote  from  "  Soldiers  of  the  Saddle," 
— "who  looked  upon  that  wonderful  panorama,  can 
ever  forget  it.  On  the  great  field  were  riderless 
horses  and  dying  men ;  clouds  of  dirt  from  solid  shot 


GLAZIER  THANKED  BY  HIS  GENERAL.      157 

and  bursting  shells,  broken  caissons,  and  overturned 
ambulances ;  and  long  lines  of  dragoons  dashing  into  the 
charge,  with  their  drawn  and  firmly  grasped  sabres 
glistening  in  the  light  of  the  declining  sun  ;  while  far 
beyond  the  scene  of  tumult  were  the  dark  green  forests 
skirting  the  distant  Rappahannock." 

In  this  action  Glazier,  who  occupied  the  post  of 
volunteer  aide  to  General  Davies,  had  his  horse  shot 
under  him,  received  a  sabre-stroke  on  the  shoulder, 
two  bullets  in  his  hat,  and  had  his  scabbard  split  by  a 
shot  or  shell.  His  conduct  was  such  as  to  obtain  for 
him  the  thanks  of  his  general  and  a  promise  of  early 
promotion.  This  was  the  fourth  battle  of  Brandy  Sta- 
tion in  which  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry  had  been 
engaged.  The  first  occurred  011  August  the  twentieth, 

1862,  the  second  on  June  ninth,  the  third  on  Septem- 
ber twelfth,  and  this  last  action  on  October  eleventh, 

1863.  They  were  followed  by  a  number  of  spirited 
engagements   between   the   Federal   cavalry  and   the 
cavaliers  of  the  South — the  former   under   Generals 
Buford  and  Kilpatrick,  and  the  latter  under  Stuart  and 
Wade  Hampton.  In  all  of  these  both  sides  behaved  gal- 
lantly, the  result  being  the  masterly  retreat  of  the  Fed- 
erals across  the  Rappahannock  to  the  old  battle-ground 
of  Bull  Run,  where  they  made  a  protracted  halt. 

From  this  time  until  the  fifteenth  of  October, 
nothing  of  sufficient  importance  transpired  to  require 
mention  here.  Upon  that  day  an  indecisive  battle  was 
fought  at  Bristoe  Station,  which  was  followed  by  an- 
other calm  that  continued  until  the  nineteenth  of 
October — a  black  day  in  the  calendar  of  Willard 
Glazier's  life. 

Far  away  among  the  peaceful  hills  of  his  native 


158  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

State  there  fell  upon  his  father's  house  a  sorrow  such 
as  its  inmates  had  never  known  before.  Not  that  this 
family  had  escaped  the  ordinary  bereavements  of  human 
life.  On  the  contrary,  two  little  children  had  been 
taken  from  them  at  intervals  of  time  which  seemed  to 
them  cruelly  brief.  But  the  death  of  an  infant,  while 
a  sad,  is  a  beautiful  thing  to  witness.  There  is  no 
flower  that  blooms  on  a  baby  grave  that  does  not  speak 
to  the  world-worn  heart,  of  Immortality.  The  grief, 
therefore,  is  gentle  in  its  touch.  But  with  the  ebb  of  a 
maturer  life  the  sorrow  is  of  a  different  character,  and 
when  the  physician  announced  to  this  worthy  couple 
that  their  daughter,  Elvira,  would  die,  they  were 
stunned  by  the  blow,  and  when  the  event  came  "  they  re- 
fused "  like  Rachel  "  to  be  comforted."  The  child  that  is 
going  from  us  is,  for  the  time,  the  favorite,  and  these 
afflicted  parents  could  not  realize  that  she  who  had  grown 
up  among  them,  the  ewe  lamb  of  their  flock,  could  be 
torn  from  their  loving  arms,  and  go  down,  like  coarser 
clay,  to  the  dark  grave.  She  was  so  good,  so  gentle, 
BO  loving  to  her  kindred,  that  their  simple  hearts  could 
not  understand  how  God  could  let  her  die,  in  the  very 
bloom  and  beauty  of  her  maidenhood.  But  though 
crushed,  they  bowed  their  heads  in  submission.  Their 
hearts  were  almost  broken,  but  they  rebelled  not 
against  the  Hand  that  chastened  them.  Why  is  it  that 
such  examples  of  tender  feeling  and  unquestioning 
faith  are  seldom  found  in  cities?  Is  it  that  "  the  mem- 
ories which  peaceful  country  scenes  call  up,  are  not  of 
this  world ;  nor  of  its  thoughts  and  hopes  ?  "  That 
"their  gentle  influences  teach  us  how  to  weave  fresh  gar- 
lands for  the  graves  of  those  we  love,  purify  our  thoughts, 
and  beat  down  old  enmities  and  hatreds  ?  "  And  that 


ELVIRA.  159 

"  beneath  all  this  there  lingers  in  the  least  reflective 
mind,  a  vague  and  half-formed  consciousness  of  hav- 
ing held  such  feelings  long  before,  which  calls  up  sol- 
emn thoughts  of  distant  times  to  come,  and  bends 
down  pride  and  worldliness  before  it?"  The  physi- 
cian had  said  that  Elvira  would  not  live  another  day, 
and  the  mother  sat  down  to  the  sad  task  of  writing 
the  mournful  news  to  her  soldier  son.  Meanwhile  be- 
yond the  Rappahannock,  a  scene  was  on  the  eve  of 
being  enacted,  which  was  destined  to  inflict  upon  her 
a  pain  as  poignant  as  that  she  was  now  about  to 
bestow. 

The  night  of  October  eighteenth  was  passed  by 
Kilpatrick's  command  at  Gainesville,  but  the  first  faint 
streak  of  dawn  saw  him  and  his  faithful  followers  in 
the  saddle,  booted,  spurred,  and  equipped  for  some 
enterprise  as  yet  unexplained  to  them,  but  evidently, 
in  their  leader's  estimation,  one  of  "  pith  and  moment." 
At  the  word  of  command,  the  force,  including  the 
"  Harris  Light,"  moved  forward  at  a  quick  trot,  taking 
the  road  to  Warrenton,  and  anticipating  a  brush  with 
Stuart's  cavalry  who,  during  the  previous  ten  hours, 
had  thrown  out  videttes  in  their  immediate  front. 

The  surprise  of  the  Federals  was  great  to  find  their 
advance  unimpeded,  and  that,  instead  of  offering  oppo- 
sition, the  Confederates  fell  back  as  rapidly  as  their 
opponents  approached.  On  they  dashed,  unopposed 
and  unobstructed,  until  Buckland  Mills  was  reached. 
At  this  point  they  found  themselves  checked,  and  in  a 
manner  that  somewhat  astounded  them.  As  they  ar- 
rived within  a  stone's  throw  of  that  village,  Fitzhugh 
Lee,  with  his  magnificent  following,  struck  their  flank. 
That  astute  and  valiant  officer,  it  appears,  had  cut  his 


160  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

way  through  the  Federal  infantry  at  Thoroughfare- 
Gap,  and  accompanied  by  a  battery  of  flying  artillery, 
swept  down  upon  Kilpatrick,  designing  to  crush  him 
at  a  blow.  General  Stuart,  taking  in  the  situation, 
and  keenly  anxious  to  profit  by  the  advantage  thus 
afforded  him,  instantly  turned  upon  and  charged  the 
Federals  in  his  front,  while,  as  if  to  make  their  utter 
annihilation  a  certainty,  the  rebel  General  Gordon, 
with  a  third  body  of  men  (his  proximity  at  that 
moment  not  being  suspected),  bore  down  fiercely  on 
their  left,  threatening  to  cut  Kilpatrick's  division  in 
two. 

Kilpatrick  possessed  an  extraordinary  amount  of 
ingenuity  in  devising  means  of  escape  from  a  dan- 
gerous position.  In  the  present  case  his  plan  was 
formed  in  an  instant,  and  executed  as  soon  as  formed. 
He  immediately  changed  his  front,  and,  without 
the  slightest  hesitation,  headed  a  mad  and  des- 
perate charge  upon  Fitzhugh  Lee's  advancing  column. 
The  merit  of  the  movement  lay  in  its  audacity ;  it  was 
the  only  one  that  promised  the  remotest  chance  of 
escape  to  the  entrapped  Federals.  Executed  with 
great  rapidity  and  desperate  decision,  the  movement 
resulted  in  the  salvation  of  the  greater  portion  of  his 
command.  It  so  happened,  however,  that  the  "  Harris 
Light,"  originally,  be  it  remembered,  forming  the 
vanguard  of  Kilpatrick's  force,  was  by  this  manoeuvre 
thrown  round  upon  the  rear,  and  Stuart,  who  was  now 
the  pursuer  instead  of  the  pursued,  had  a  fine  oppor- 
tunity of  attacking  them  with  his  full  force,  at  a  great 
disadvantage  to  the  former — an  opportunity  he  was  not 
slow  to  avail  himself  of. 

Kilpatrick's  men  met  the  assault  manfully,  retiring 


A  PRISONER    OF   WAR.  161 

slowly,  until  at  length,  upon  the  brow  of  a  small  hill, 
they  turned  at  bay,  and  for  a  time  formed  a  living 
rampart  between  their  retreating  comrades  and  the 
enemy.  Every  attempt  to  approach  and  penetrate 
their  line  proved  instant  death  to  their  assailants,  and 
General  Stuart,  seeing  no  chance  of  otherwise  dislodg- 
ing them,  determined  to  charge  in  person,  and  crush 
them  with  an  entire  division.  Glazier,  who  had 
already  emptied  two  saddles,  sat  coolly  upon  his  horse, 
reloading  as  this  formidable  body  came  sweeping 
down.  By  this  time,  experience  of  the  vicissitudes  of 
a  soldier's  career,  and  possibly  the  fact  that  he  had 
hitherto  been  very  fortunate  in  the  numerous  conflicts 
in  which  his  regiment  had  been  engaged,  left  him  quite 
composed  under  fire.  Singling  out  one  of  Stuart's 
men,  he  covered  that  cavalier  with  his  revolver,  and 
probably,  in  another  instant,  would  have  ended  his 
career ;  but,  just  as  his  finger  gave  the  final  pressure 
upon  the  trigger,  his  horse,  riddled  with  bullets,  fell 
dead  under  him,  the  shot  flew  wide  of  its  mark,  and 
he  fell  to  the  ground. 

His  first  sensation  was  of  a  dense  cloud  between 
himself  and  the  sky,  and  next  of  being  crushed  by 
tramping  hoofs,  whole  squadrons  of  horse  passing  over 
his  body  as  he  lay  prone  and  helpless.  A  vague, 
dreamy  sensation  of  being  a  mass  of  wounds  and 
bruises  was  succeeded  by  utter  darkness  and  oblivion. 
How  long  he  continued  in  this  comatose  state  he  never 
knew.  Raised  from  the  ground,  a  terrible  sense  of 
acute  bodily  pain  gradually  crept  over  him,  as  he 
found  himself  hurried  along  at  a  rapid  pace.  Where 
he  was  going,  who  had  him  in  charge,  what  he  had 
done,  whether  he  was  in  this  or  some  other  world, 


162  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

were  matters  of  which  he  had  no  more  conception  than 
the  dead  charger  he  had  ridden.  Pain,  pain,  nothing 
but  intense  pain,  absorbed  the  whole  of  his  faculties. 
Gradually  his  full  consciousness  returned.  He  re- 
membered the  fierce  onset  of  the  enemy,  his  fall  from 
his  horse,  and  at  once  concluded  that  he  was  a  prisoner 
in  the  hands  of  the  enemy  !  Very  soon  after,  he  dis- 
covered that,  in  addition  to  being  deprived  of  his 
arms,  he  had  been  stripped  of  his  watch  and  other 
valuables. 

One  of  the  great  annoyances  to  which  a  newly 
captured  prisoner  was  subjected,  arose  from  the  fact 
that  skulkers  and  sneaks,  in  order  to  secure  safe  posi- 
tions, coveted  and  sought  the  privilege  of  quartering 
them.  In  his  own  words  Glazier  says : 

"  The  woods  in  the  vicinity  were  full  of  skulkers, 
and,  in  order  to  make  a  show  of  having  something  to 
do,  they  would  make  their  appearance  in  the  rear  of 
the  fighting  column,  and  devote  themselves  sedulously 
to  guarding  the  prisoners."  He  adds,  that  "  privates, 
corporals  and  sergeants,  in  turn,  had  them  in  charge;" 
and  that  "each  in  succession  would  call  them  into  line, 
count  them  in  an  officious  manner,  and  issue  orders 
according  to  their  liking,"  until  some  sneak  of  higher 
rank  came  along,  assumed  the  superior  command,  and 
in  a  tone  of  authority,  would  say  to  the  other  pol- 
troons: "Gentlemen,  your  services  are  much  needed 
at  the  front.  Go,  and  do  your  duty  like  soldiers." 
The  result  would  be  an  exchange  of  tyrants,  but  no 
diminution  of  the  petty  tyranny.  At  dusk  the  prison- 
ers were  marched  to,  and  lodged  in,  the  jail  at  War- 
renton. 


ROBBING  PRISONERS.  163 

Like  all  Federal  soldiers  who  fell  into  the  enemy's 
hands,  Glazier  complains  very  bitterly  of  the  small 
persecutions  inflicted  by  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
Home  Guard,  and  unfortunately  these  mongrels — a 
cross  between  a  civilian  and  a  soldier — were  their 
chief  custodians  during  that  night,  and  signalized  them- 
selves after  their  fashion.  They  deprived  the  prisoners 
of  their  clothing,  and,  in  truth,  everything  of  the 
slightest  value  in  the  eyes  of  a  thief.  One  of  these 
swashbucklers  attempted  to  reduce  our  young  hero's 
wardrobe  to  an  Arkansas  basis,  namely,  a  straw-hat 
and  a  pair  of  spurs,  with  what  success  the  following 
dialogue,  taken  mainly  from  "The  Capture,  Prison- 
Pen,  and  Escape,"  will  indicate. 

"Here,  Yank,"  said  the  guard,  "  hand  me  that  thar 
hat,  and  over-coat,  and  boots." 

"No,  sir,  I  won't;  they  are  my  property.  You  have 
no  right  to  take  them  from  me." 

"I  have,"  said  the  guard.  "  We  have  authority  from 
General  Stuart  to  take  from  you  prisoners  whatever 
we  d — d  choose." 

"  That  I  doubt,"  said  the  captive,  "  and  if  you  are  a 
gentleman  you  won't  be  guilty  of  stripping  a  defence- 
less prisoner." 

"  I'll  show  you  my  authority,  you  d — d  blue-belly," 
said  the  ruffian,  drawing  his  revolver.  "  Now,  take 
off  that  coat,  or  I'll  blow  your  brains  out." 

By  this  time  Glazier's  Northern  blood  was  up,  and 
he  grew  desperate,  so  he  angrily  answered : 

"  Blow  away  then !  It  is  as  well  to  be  without 
brains  as  without  clothing." 

So  the  fellow,  who  was  evidently  a  contemptible 
blusterer,  whom  General  Stuart,  had  he  been  aware 


164  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

of  his  conduct,  would  have  drummed  out  of  the 
army,  not  willing  to  risk  the  consequences  of  actual 
violence — sneaked  away. 

While  this  little  incident  was  occurring  at  Warren- 
ton  jail,  a  very  different  event  was  transpiring  at  his 
father's  house.  His  sister  was  dying.  It  was  a  peace- 
ful, hopeful  death — the  death  of  a  Christian — of  one 
who  in  her  young  life  had  never  by  word  or  deed  in- 
jured man  or  woman.  Many  weeks  elapsed  before  her 
imprisoned  brother  heard  of  her  death,  and  when 
the  intelligence  at  length  reached  him,  he  was  over- 
whelmed with  grief  at  her  loss. 

Upon  the  morning  following  the  day  of  his  capture, 
in  that  dense  darkness  that  precedes  the  dawn,  the 
prisoners  started  on  their  tramp  toward  Culpepper, 
and  as  the  day  broke,  and  the  sun  mounted  above  the 
eastern  hills,  their  march,  which  extended  to  full 
thirty  miles,  became  a  weary  and  exhausting  journey. 
Themselves  on  foot,  and  compelled  to  keep  up  with 
the  pace  of  mounted  men,  it  was  a  tiresome  task ;  but 
to  do  so  under  the  burning  rays  of  a  Southern  sun 
was  nearly  impossible.  To  make  matters  worse,  in  the 
present  case,  the  Confederates  having  sustained  a 
defeat  at  Bristoe  and  Rappahannock  Station,  the 
guard  was  not  in  the  most  amiable  humor ;  in  addition 
to  which  they  were  compelled  to  use  haste  in  order  to 
avoid  capture  by  the  victorious  Federals.  Glazier 
gave  no  thought  to  his  present  discomfort,  and  to  use 
his  own  words,  "  felt  relieved  when  he  heard  of  the 
successes  of  his  comrades."  Still  the  annoyance  of  this 
compulsory  tramp  was  felt  keenly.  The  prisoners 
"being  encumbered  with  heavy  high-heeled  cavalry 
boots,"  and  their  feet  having  become  tender  from  con- 


AN  EXHAUSTING  JOURNEY.  165 

tact  with  the  mud  and  water  through  which  they 
marched,  soon  became  a  mass  of  blisters,  and  their 
sufferings  from  this  cause  alone  were  intense.  Six  of 
the  poor  fellows  succumbed,  unable  to  proceed.  After 
a  journey  attended  with  much  mental  depression,  and 
bodily  agony,  the  former  increased  by  the  barbarous 
contumely  flung  at  them  by  men  who  emerged  from 
roadside  inns,  to  stare  at  them  as  they  passed,  the 
prisoners,  including  the  subject  of  our  story,  entered 
Richmond,  and  were  at  once  introduced  to  the  amen- 
ities of  "  Libby  Prison." 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

LIBBY    PRISON. 

"All  ye  who  enter  here  abandon  hope." — Auld  lang  syne. — Major 
Turner. — Hope  deferred  raaketh  the  heart  sick. — Stoicism. — 
Glazier  enters  the  prison-hospital. — A  charnel-house. — Rebel 
surgeons. — Prison  correspondence. — Specimen  of  a  regulation 
letter. — The  tailor's  joke. — A  Roland  for  an  Oliver. — News  of 
death. — Schemes  for  escape. — The  freemasonry  of  misfortune? — 
Plot  and  counter-plot. — The  pursuit  of  pleasure  under  difficulties. 

IT  does  not  come  within  the  scope  of  the  present 
work  to  enter  into  a  detailed  description  of  the 
sufferings  of  the  Union  prisoners  in  this  place  of 
durance :  those  who  have  a  taste  for  such  gloomy 
themes  may  gratify  it  by  reading  the  first  work  by  our 
young  soldier-author,  entitled  "The  Capture,  Prison- 
Pen  and  Escape,"  in  which  the  horrors  of  that  house 
of  misery  are  eloquently  described.  We  may,  how- 
ever, say  this  much,  that  if  the  testimony  of  eye-wit- 
nesses is  to  be  credited,  it  was  a  fearful  place,  and  one 
over  whose  portals  the  words  of  Dante  might  have 
been  appropriately  inscribed,  "All  ye  who  enter  here 
abandon  hope." 

Of  some  thousand  Northern  officers  confined  here, 
Glazier,  of  course,  met  several  from  his  own  corps,  who 
had  been  previously  captured.  He  at  first  felt  his 
condition  very  acutely.  His  roving  life  amid  the 
magnificent  scenery  of  Virginia,  Maryland  and  Penn- 
(166) 


MAJOR   TURNER.  167 

sylvania  was  now  exchanged  for  the  gloomy  and 
monotonous  routine  of  a  prison  ;  but  he  writes  under 
date  of  October  twenty-eighth,  in  a  more  reconciled 
and  hopeful  strain  "  I  am  gradually,"  he  says,  "  be- 
coming accustomed  to  this  dungeon  life,  and  I  pre- 
sume I  shall  fall  into  the  habit  of  enjoying  myself  at 
times.  *  How  use  doth  breed  a  habit  in  a  man.' 
Indeed  he  can  accommodate  himself  to  almost  any 
clime  or  any  circumstance  of  life,  a  gift  of  adaptation 
no  other  living  thing  possesses  in  any  such  degree." 
Of  one  man,  in  the  midst  of  all  his  philosophy, 
our  hero  speaks  very  bitterly.  We  allude  to  Major 
Turner,  military  warden  of  the  prison.  He  de- 
scribes him  as  possessed  of  a  vindictive,  depraved, 
and  fiendish  nature,  and  moralizes  over  the  man  and 
his  career  in  this  wise : 

"There  is  nothing  more  terrible  than  a  human  soul 
grown  powerful  in  sin,  and  left  to  the  horrible  machi- 
nations of  the  evil  one,  and  its  own  evil  promptings. 
Demons  developed  from  germs  that  might  have  pro- 
duced seraphs,  become  rank  growths,  drinking  in  the 
healthful  stimulants  of  life  and  reproducing  them  in 
hideous  forms  of  vice  and  crime. 

" '  Souls  made  of  fire,  and  children  of  the  sun, 
With  whom  revenge  is  virtue.' 

"Thus  we  see  a  soul  coming  pure  and  plastic  from  its 
Maker's  hand,  yet  afterward  standing  before  the  world, 
stained  and  hardened." 

Slowly  and  wearily  the  days  and  weeks  passed  on  in 
"Libby,"  leaving  its  drear  monotony  unbroken,  ex- 
cept when  the  rumor  of  a  prospect  of  being  exchanged 
came  to  flush  the  faces  of  the  captives  with  a  hope 
destined' not  to  be  fulfilled  while  Willard  Glazier  was 
13 


168  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

in  Richmond.  The  result  was  that  he  at  length 
abandoned  all  hope  of  being  exchanged,  and  for  a 
time  tried  hard  to  cultivate  and  "grow  into  the  luxury 
of  indifference."  His  experience  told  him  that  "  how- 
ever reprehensible"  it  might  be  in  ordinary  life, 
"stoicism,  under  the  circumstances  in  which  he  then 
found  himself,  was  an  actual  necessity."  His  mind 
appears  at  this  time  to  have  sustained  him  under  many 
extreme  bodily  privations.  But  despite  all  his  philos- 
ophy and  cultivated  resignation  of  spirit,  despite  the 
mental  resources  which  he  fortunately  possessed  in  no 
small  degree,  and  which  enabled  him  to  occupy  his 
time  profitably,  while  others  were  pacing  up  and 
down  the  room  like  caged  beasts  feeding  upon  their 
own  hearts,  his  bodily  health  was  materially  im- 
paired. The  first  winter  month,  with  its  frosty 
atmosphere,  and  fierce  northern  blasts,  instead  of 
bringing  invigoration  to  his  wasted  frame,  left  him 
more  debilitated,  and  upon  the  eighth  of  December  he 
succumbed  to  a  disease  which  had  been  encroaching 
upon  him  for  some  time,  and  requested  to  be  sent  to 
the  hospital.  His  sensations  were  far  from  pleasant 
when,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  he  found  himself 
seriously  ill  among  enemies,  and  in  that  most  dismal 
of  all  dismal  places,  a  Prison  Infirmary.  "Once  in 
the  hospital,"  he  writes,  "I  found  myself  soon  subjected 
to  its  peculiar  influences.  There  was  the  ominous 
stillness,  broken  only  by  the  choking  cough,  or  labored 
groan  ;  the  chilling  dread,  as  though  one  were  in  the 
jmmedjate  presence  of  death,  and  under  the  ban  of 
gijenpe  j  and  the  anxious  yearning — the  almost  frantic 
yearning  one  feels  in  the  contemplation  of  suffering 
which  he  is  powerless  to  alleviate.  And  worse  than 


HUMANE  SURGEONS.  1G9 

all,  at  last  came  the  hardened  feeling  which  a  familiar- 
ity with  such  scenes  produces.  This  is  nothing  but  an 
immense  charnel-house.  We  are  constantly  in  the 
midst  of  the  dead  and  dying.  Nearly  every  day  some 
of  our  comrades,  and  on  some  days  several  of  them, 
are  borne  away  coffin  less  and  unshrouded  to  their 
unmarked  graves.  Nor  flower,  nor  cross,  nor  hallowed 
token,  gives  grace  to  the  dead,  or  beauty  to  the  grave.  I 
ana  well  aware  that  in  time  of  war,  on  the  field  of 
carnage,  in  camp,  where  the  pestilential  fever  rages, 
or  in  the  crowded  prisons  of  the  enemy,  human  life 
is  but  little  valued.  Yet  there  are  moments  amidst 
all  these  scenes,  when  the  importance  of  life  aud  the 
terrors  of  death,  seem  to  force  themselves  upon  the 
mind  of  every  man,  with  a  power  which  cannot  be 
resisted." 

It  is  pleasant  to  find  that  here,  as  generally  in  the 
world,  with  members  of  the  learned  professions,  the 
surgeons  were  humane  and  kind  ;  and  remonstrated 
with  the  authorities  whenever  remonstrance  on  behalf 
of  the  poor  sufferers  was  needed.  Of  course  they 
could  not  "  minister  to  a  mind  diseased,  pluck  from  the 
memory  a  rooted  sorrow,"  or, 

"  With  some  sweet  oblivious  antidote,  cleanse 
The  choked  bosom  of  that  perilous  stuff 
That  weighs  upon  the  heart ;  " 

but  gracious  words  and  sympathizing  looks,  and  the 
knowledge  that  he  was  once  more  in  the  hands  of 
gentlemen,  were  a  source  of  great  comfort  to  the  patient, 
after  having  been  brought  into  daily  and  hourly  con- 
tact with  the  familiars  of  Major  Turner.  Another 
gratifying  circumstance  was,  that  the  Federal  surgeons 
held  as  prisoners  were  permitted  to  attend  upon  their 


170  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

sick  compatriots  when  they  expressed  a  wish  to  do  so, 
and  that,  of  course,  was  very  frequently.  Even  an 
hospital  has  its  little  events,  which  although  they  ap- 
pear very  trifling  in  the  retrospect,  are  of  considerable 
importance  at  the  time  of  their  occurrence.  Here 
these  little  episodes  were  not  infrequent.  At  one  time 
it  was  the  destruction  of  a  box  of  dainties  sent  by  the 
Federal  Sanitary  Commission  for  the  prisoners ;  at 
another,  it  was  the  excitement  incident  to  an  exchange 
of  the  surgeons  held  in  captivity;  and  again,  it  was 
the  surreptitious  acquisition  by  some  of  the  patients  of 
a  daily  newspaper,  and  the  guarded  dissemination  of 
such  items  as  it  might  contain  among  his  fellow- 
sufferers;  but  greatest  of  all  in  importance  was  the 
receipt  of  a  letter  from  HOME.  Even  when  surrounded 
by  all  the  incidents  of  home  life,  the  postman  is 
ever  a  welcome  visitor ;  but  in  the  midst  of  such  a 
dreary  captivity  as  these  men  were  undergoing,  a  letter 
from  home  was  like  a  message  from  heaven. 

Their  correspondence  had,  however,  its  sad  as  well 
as  its  cheerful  aspect.  The  prisoners  were  restricted 
in  writing  their  letters  to  six  lines,  by  an  arbitrary 
order  from  Major  Turner,  and  much  ingenuity  was 
exercised  in  the  effort  to  crowd  into  these  six  lines 
the  thousand  and  one  messages  which  many  of  the 
writers  desired  to  send  to  mothers,  wives,  sisters  and 
sweethearts.  Here  is  a  genuine  specimen  of  a  "  regu- 
lation" letter  from  a  fond  husband  to  the  wife  of  his 
bosom : 

MY  DEAR  WIFE:  Yours  received — no  hope  of  exchange — send 
corn-starch — want  socks — no  money — rheumatism  in  left  shoulder 
^pickles  very  good — send  sausages — God  bless  you — Kiss  the  baby 
• — Hail  Columbia  !  Your  devoted  husband, 

A.  D.  S. 


PRISON  CORRESPONDENCE.  171 

But  the  ''rule  of  six"  was  successfully  evaded  for 
a  considerable  time,  by  the  manufacture  and  use  of 
invisible  ink.  The  trick  was  however  at  last  dis- 
covered, and  the  way  in  which  Glazier  tells  the  story 
is  so  amusing,  that  we  are  tempted  to  give  it  in  his 
own  words: 

"  A  certain  captain  writing  to  a  fair  and  undoubtedly 
dear  friend,  could  not  brook  the  idea  of  being  limited 
to  six  lines,  when  he  had  so  much  to  communicate;  so 
resorting  to  the  use  of  invisible  ink,  he  comfortably 
filled  the  sheet  with  'soft  and  winning  words/  and 
then  fearing  lest  his  inamorata  would  not  discover  the 
secret  he  added  this  postscript: 

"'P.  S. — Now,  my  dear,  read  this  over,  and  then 
bake  it  in  the  oven  and  read  it  again.' 

"This  was  too  much.  The  rebels  thinking  if  the 
letter  would  improve  by  baking  it  might  be  well  to 
improve  it  at  once,  accordingly  held  it  over  the  fire. 
This  brought  to  light  four  closely  written  pages  of  the 
tenderest  and  most  heart-rending  sentiment." 

Ever  after  all  letters  sent  out  by  the  prisoners  were 
carefully  inspected  and  subjected  to  the  "ordeal  by 
fire,"  so  that,  to  use  the  expressive  language  of  an  old 
soldier,  "that  game  was  played." 

Among  Glazier's  fellow-prisoners  at  this  time  was  a 
certain  Major  Halsted.  He  was  one  of  those  social 
anomalies  that  are  not  infrequently  met  with  in  this 
country,  a  man  of  obscure  origin,  a  member  of  a  very 
humble  calling,  prior  to  entering  the  army,  and  yet  pos- 
sessing the  personal  appearance  and  manners  of  a  man 
of  distinction.  He  really  belonged  to  that  terribly 
maligned  craft  of  whose  followers  it  is  popularly  said, 
"It  takes  nine  to  make  a  man," — he  was  a  tailor. 


172  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Upon  this  fact  some  of  the  little  wits  of  the  prison, 
forgetting  that  one  of  the  bravest  of  Napoleon's  gen- 
erals, and  one  of  the  most  intrepid  of  America's  sons, 
had  both  followed  the  same  occupation,  were  in  the 
habit  of  jokingly  asking  him  to  repair  their  old  and 
dilapidated  clothes. 

When  this  jest  was  first  indulged  in,  those  who  knew 
the  undaunted  spirit  and  somewhat  irascible  temper  of 
the  major,  expected  to  hear  him  blaze  out  upon  the 
perpetrator  of  the  mauvaise  plaisantrie,  or  possibly 
knock  him  down.  To  their  surprise,  however,  he  did 
neither.  For  a  single  moment  a  gleam  of  passionate 
wrath  shot  up  in  his  eyes,  but  it  was  instantly  sup- 
pressed, and  he  joined  in  the  laugh  against  himself. 
Seeing,  however,  that  the  victim  of  the  joke  did  not 
appear  at  all  disturbed  or  hurt,  other,  better-natured 
fellows  followed  in  the  wake,  and  the  jest  of  asking 
the  major  to  patch  a  pair  of  breeches  or  mend  a  coat, 
became  somewhat  threadbare  by  repetition. 

It  happened,  however,  that  one  day  the  rebel  sur- 
geon accidentally  tore  his  coat  across  the  breast,  and 
turning  to  Major  H.  said,  he  would  give  him  a  bottle 
of  wine  if  he  would  repair  it.  "Yes,  sir,"  said  the 
major,  "if  you  will  furnish  me  with  a  needle,  thread, 
and  a  few  other  indispensables,  I  will  take  the  whole 
suit  and  make  it  look  very  different."  He  added,  "  the 
fact  is,  I  would  rather  do  anything  than  rust  in  idle- 
ness in  this  d — d  prison."  Finding  that  he  spoke 
seriously,  and  as  if  it  were  an  ordinary  business,  the 
Confederate  sawbones,  who  had  a  lively  appreciation  of 
Yankee  handicraft,  accepted  the  proposition,  and  all 


THE  TAILOR'S  JOKE.  173 

next  day  the  major  was  hard  at  work  clipping  and 
scouring  and  pressing  the  surgeon's  uniform,  every 
now  and  then  the  owner  thereof  passing  by  and  smiling 
approval;  and  it  was  remarked  that  his  face  wore  that 
complacent  expression  common  to  all  good  men  when 
they  have  furnished  employment  for  idle  hands — and 
it  is  not  going  to  cost  them  anything. 

The  same  evening,  however,  when  the  work,  so 
neatly  done,  was  finished,  the  major  very  quietly 
slipped  it  upon  his  own  dignified  person,  and  taking 
with  him  a  fellow-prisoner  as  "  hospital  steward," 
coolly  walked  past  the  guard,  remarking,  to  the 
great  consternation  of  that  personage,  "  My  friend, 
there  are  unmistakable  indications  of  cerebro-spinal 
meningitis  in  your  eyes.  Come  over  to  the  hospital 
as  soon  as  you  are  relieved,  and  I  will  see  what  can  be 
done  for  you,"  walked  out  into  the  street,  and  neither 
he  nor  the  "  hospital  steward "  was  heard  of  again 
until  they  reached  the  Federal  lines. 

The  devices  resorted  to,  to  effect  an  escape,  were  as 
ingenious  as  they  were  numerous,  and  for  a  short  time 
the  most  popular  and  successful  ruse  was  for  the  pris- 
oners to  get  into  the  hospital,  simulate  death,  and, 
while  left  unguarded  in  the  dead-house,  to  escape. 
The  difference,  however,  between  the  tally  of  the  deaths 
and  the  burials  ultimately  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  authorities,  and  that  was  stopped. 

It  will  be  rememl>ered  that  while  young  Glazier  was 
fighting  his  last  fight  prior  to  his  capture  upon  the 
nineteenth  of  October,  the  family  at  home  were  gath- 
ered around  his  sister's  dying  bed,  when  her  gentle 
spirit  winged  its  flight  to  Heaven.  From  that  day 
until  the  twenty-ninth  of  November,  he  had  received 


174  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

no  news  of  his  family,  and  consequently,  up  to  that 
time,  was  ignorant  of  her  decease.  It  had  been  his 
habit,  during  the  weary  hours  of  his  prison  life,  to 
overcome  the  dangerous  disposition  that  is  common  to 
all  human  beings  when  in  trouble — to  brood  over  their 
misfortunes  by  fixing  their  thoughts  upon  the  loved 
ones  at  home.  His  imagination  constantly  conjured 
up  before  his  mind's  eye  pictures  of  his  parents, 
his  sisters  and  brothers,  and  placed  them  amid  the 
rustic  surroundings  of  his  boyhood's  home.  Even 
while  in  the  hospital,  and  tossing  with  fever  upon  his 
bed,  the  visions  which  haunted  him  were  not  visions 
of  red-handed  war,  but  of  quiet  country  life,  where  his 
kindred  filled  their  several  spheres  of  duty.  He  had 
never  thought  of  them,  except  collectively.  Although 
he  had,  from  time  to  time,  felt  apprehensive  that 
"Elvi"  was  somewhat  delicate,  he  never  had  the 
slightest  fear  that  her  life  was  thereby  endangered. 
Hence,  when  the  sad  news  arrived,  it  came  as  a  ter- 
rible surprise.  His  sisters  had  been  the  objects  of  his 
peculiar  care.  The  relation  he  had  borne  to  them, 
young  as  he  was,  was  that  of  a  father,  as  well  as  bro- 
ther. He  never  wearied  of  inventing  plans  for  their 
intellectual  improvement.  He  made  it  his  peculiar 
care  that  they  should  be  thoroughly  educated,  and  that, 
while  intellectually  robust,  none  of  the  soft  down  and 
bloom  of  true  womanhood  should  be  brushed  away  in 
the  process.  They  were  his  memory's  "good  angels" 
even  in  sleep;  for  what  must  have  been  his  dreams  in 
the  midst  of  such  surroundings,  if  he  had  not  had 
them  to  think  of! 

The  shock  on  thus  learning  of  his  sister's  death  was 
a  very  great  one  to  young  Glazier,  and  his  reflections 


PLANS  FOR  ESCAPE.  175 

for  a  time  were  bitter.  He  alludes  to  the  subject  him- 
self iu  this  way :  "  In  the  very  midst  of  death  I  am 
permitted  to  drag  out  a  weary  life,  while  dear  ones  in 
a  land  of  health,  freedom  and  plenty  are  struck  down 
by  the  fatal  shaft.  Her  death  occurred  on  the  nine- 
teenth of  October,  the  very  day  of  my  capture.  I  was 
thrust  into  prison,  and  doubly  bound  to  the  groveling 
discomforts  of  earth,  while  she  was  released  from  the 
prison-house  of  clay,  and  received,  I  trust,  into  the 
joyous  freedom  of  Heaven.  Our  lives  are  all  in 
the  hands  of  Him  who  doeth  all  things  well.  He 
appoints  us  a  period  of  existence,  and  appoints  a 
moment  to  depart.  All  other  influences  are  subordi- 
nate to  His  will.  'What  can  preserve  our  lives,  and 
what  destroy  ! ' ' 

From  the  moment  he  realized  that  he  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  after  the  battle  of  New  Balti- 
more, Glazier  had  made  up  his  mind  to  exercise  sleep- 
less vigilance  in  seeking  for  opportunities  of  escape. 
He  pondered  over  the  matter  until  he  became  a  com- 
plete enthusiast  in  his  efforts  to  master  the  minute 
details  of  the  construction  and  topography  of  the  place 
of  his  confinement,  and,  by  the  exercise  of  that  natural 
freemasonry  which  enables  kindred  spirits  to  recognize 
each  other,  soon  effected  an  understanding  upon  the 
subject  with  certain  of  the  more  daring  of  his  compan- 
ions in  misfortune.  One  of  these  gentlemen  was  a 
Lieutenant  Tresouthick,  an  officer  of  the  Eighteenth 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry.  In  order  to  comprehend  the 
plan  which  they  finally  determined  to  carry  out,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  premise  that  Libby  Prison  was  a  three- 
story  structure,  built  over  very  ample  cellarage;  that 
the  stories  were  each  divided  into  three  compartments, 


176  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

as  was  the  cellar;  and  that  these  spaces  were  all  of 
equal  size  in  length  and  breadth.  For  the  purpose  of 
conveying  a  clear  conception  of  the  locus  in  quo  of  the 
proposed  effort,  the  reader  should  also  be  informed  that 
the  hospital  occupied  the  first  floor;  that  Lieutenant 
Tresouthick  was  one  of  the  occupants  of  the  room  im- 
mediately above  it;  and  that  there  were  sinks  built 
against  the  exterior  wall  of  the  same  height  as  each 
story,  and  running  the  entire  length  of  the  building. 
The  lieutenant's  plan  was,  that  "  he  should  feign  sick- 
ness and  get  into  the  hospital,"  says  our  hero,  in 
describing  the  scheme;  "and  that  I,  in  the  mean- 
while, should,  with  a  saw-backed  knife,  cut  a  board 
out  of  the  sink  large  enough  to  let  us  through."  This 
looked  feasible  enough,  and  the  two  conspirators  were 
beginning  to  felicitate  themselves  upon  their  approach- 
ing freedom,  when  they  discovered  that  any  such 
opening  as  they  proposed,  would  let  them  out  "directly 
opposite  the  guard,"  so  that  plan  had  to  be  dropped. 
Glazier  then  proposed  a  plan  of  operations,  promising 
better  and  safer  results.  It  was,  that  Tresouthick 
should  still  carry  out  his  original  idea  of  a  feigned 
sickness  and  consequent  admission  to  the  hospital ; 
that  he  (Glazier)  should  procure  a  piece  of  rope,  eight 
or  ten  feet  long,  and  then,  "some  dark,  rainy  night," 
the  pair  should  "steal  down  into  the  basement" — 
the  outer  doors  of  which  were  "not  locked  until  ten 
o'clock" — and  await  their  opportunity.  That,  when 
they  once  reached  the  exterior  of  the  building,  and  the 
sentry's  back  was  turned,  they  should  rush  past  him 
on  either  side,  and,  with  the  rope,  trip  him  up,  in  the 
hope  of  being  beyond  the  reach  of  his  musket  before 
he  could  fire.  This  was  approved  by  the  lieutenant. 


PLEASURE  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES.          177 

and  they  made  up  their  minds  to  try  it.  Of  course,  it 
was  necessary  that  Lieutenant  Tresouthick's  illness 
should  come  on  very  gradually,  and  progress  naturally 
from  bad  to  worse,  until  he  became  a  fit  subject  for 
the  hospital,  so  that  some  time  was  occupied  in  pre- 
liminary operations  before  any  steps  could  be  taken 
for  the  execution  of  their  plan. 

Meanwhile,  through  the  kindness  of  one  of  the 
surgeons,  young  Glazier  was  furnished  with  some 
reading  matter,  a  very  great  luxury  to  a  man  in  his 
situation  and  of  his  tastes.  In  his  more  serious  hours 
he  re-read  the  Bible,  and  committed  to  memory  daily 
a  portion  of  "Saint  Matthew's  Gospel ;"  and  for  relaxa- 
tion read  "  Napoleon  and  his  Marshals."  This  with 
an  occasional  game  at  chess,  checkers,  or  dominos, 
games  in  which  the  invalids  were  permitted  to  indulge, 
made  the  hours  pass  much  more  pleasantly  than  those 
spent  in  the  convalescent  department.  It  is  true  their 
chess-board  was  made  with  chalk  upon  the  floor,  the 
"  men  "  being  pieces  wrought  out  of  bone  saved  from 
their  soup,  and  the  "checkers"  old  buttons  ripped 
from  their  scanty  wardrobe.  But  these  rude  imple- 
ments afforded  as  much  real  sport  as  if  they  had  been 
constructed  of  ivory  or  gold.  The  scene  must  at  all 
times  have  been  grimly  grotesque  in  this  place,  for  all 
the  trades  and  professions  had  their  representatives 
there,  and  the  lawyers  held  mock  courts,  politicians 
formed  caucuses,  gamblers  started  a  square  game  of 
faro,  and  even  some  ministers  of  the  gospel  gathered 
together  a  few  each  day,  who  listened  to  words  of  hope 
and  comfort  from  their  lips. 

On  the  eighth  of  December  Glazier  made  this  note 
in  his  diary :  "  Getting  into  the  hospital  is  no  easy 


178  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

matter,  but  Tresou thick  is  becoming  more  and  more 
sick,  and  has  good  hopes."  But 

"  The  best  o'  plans  o'  mice  and  men 
Gang  aft  aglee ;  " 

and  all  hope  of  escape  for  our  two  worthies  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  inconvenient  fact  that  a  couple  of  their 
comrades  anticipated  them  in  point  of  time,  and  by  so 
doing  aroused  the  guards  to  such  a  state  of  vigilance, 
that  our  over-sanguine  boys  saw  there  was  no  chance 
for  them.  Consequently  Lieutenant  Tresouthick's  ill- 
ness vanished  as  it  had  come,  and  he  was  soon  pro- 
nounced convalescent. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

PRISON   LIFE. 

Mournful  news. — How  a  brave  man  dies. — New  Year's  Day.— 
Jolly  under  unfavorable  circumstances. — Major  Turner  pays  his 
respects. — Punishment  for  singing  "  villainous  Yankee  songs." — 
Confederate  General  John  Morgan. — Plans  for  escape. — Digging 
their  way  to  freedom. — "Post  No.  1,  All's  well." — Yankee 
ingenuity. — The  tunnel  ready. — Muscle  the  trump  card. — No 
respect  to  rank. — Sauve  qui  pent ! — A  strategic  movement. — 
"Guards!  guards!" — Absentees  from  muster. —  Disappointed 
hopes. — Savage  treatment  of  prisoners. — Was  the  prison  mined  ? 

THE  Richmond  papers  occasionally  found  their  way 
into  the  hands  of  the  prisoners,  and  the  following 
mournful  item  of  news  is  transcribed  from  one  of  them. 
The  writer  of  the  ensuing  letter  was  a  man  about 
thirty  years  of  age,  who  was  accused  by  the  rebel 
authorities  of  having  acted  as  a  spy  on  behalf  of  the 
Union  government.  A  gloom  hung  over  the  prison 
for  some  days  after  the  reading  of  the  article : 

CASTLE  THUNDER,  RICHMOND,  Virginia. 

DEAR  FATHER: — By  permission  and  through  the  courtesy  of 
Captain  Alexander,  I  am  enabled  to  write  you  a  few  lines.  You, 
who  before  this  have  heard  from  me  in  regard  to  my  situation  here, 
can,  I  trust,  bear  it,  when  I  tell  you  that  my  days  on  earth  are  soon 
ended. 

Last  Saturday  I  was  court-martialed,  and  this  evening,  a  short 
time  since,  I  received  notice  of  my  sentence  by  Captain  Alexander, 

(179) 


180  SWORD  AND  PEX. 

who   has  since   shown   me    every   kindness    consistent   with    his 
duty. 

Writing  to  my  dear  parents,  I  feel  there  can  be  no  greater 
comfort  after  such  tidings,  than  to  tell  you  that  I  trust,  by  the 
mercy  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  to  die  the  death  of  a  Christian. 

For  more  than  a  year,  since  the  commencement  of  my  confine- 
ment, I  have  been  trying  to  serve  him  in  my  own  feeble  way,  and 
I  do  not  fear  to  go  to  Him. 

I  would  have  loved  to  see  you  all  again ;  God  saw  best  not ; 
why  should  we  mourn?  Comfort  your  hearts,  my  dear  parents,  by 
thoughts  of  God's  mercy  unto  your  son,  and  bow  with  reverence 
beneath  the  hand  of  Him  who  "doeth  all  things  well." 

*  *  *  I  sent  a  ring  to  my  wife  by  a  clergyman,  Monday 
last;  I  also  sent  a  telegram  to  yourself,  which  will  arrive  too  late, 
as  the  time  of  my  execution  is  set  for  the  day  after  to-morrow. 

Dear  parents:  there  are  but  few  more  moments  left  me;  I  will 
try  to  think  often  of  you  ;  God  bless  and  comfort  you  ;  remember 
me  kindly  and  respectfully  to  all  my  dear  friends  and  relatives. 
Tell  Kitty  I  hope  to  meet  her  again.  Take  care  of  Freddy  for  me ; 
put  him  often  in  remembrance  of  me. 

Dear  mother,  good-bye.  God  comfort!  you,  my  mother,  and 
bless  you  with  the  love  of  happy  children.  Farewell,  my  father  ; 
we  meet  again  by  God's  mercy. 

SPENCER  KELLOGG. 

The  following  account  of  the  execution  is  from  a 
Richmond  paper: 

"At  eleven  o'clock  yesterday  forenoon,  a  detail  of 
one  hundred  men  from  the  City  Battalion,  marched 
from  Castle  Thunder  with  Spencer  Kellogg,  the 
recently  condemned  spy,  in  custody. 

"The  cavalcade  reached  the  scene  of  execution 
about  half-past  twelve  o'clock,  where,  as  usual,  a  vast 
concourse  of  people,  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages,  were 
congregated.  After  a  few  moments  spent  in  prelimi- 
nary arrangements,  the  prisoner  was  escorted,  under 
guard,  to  the  gallows.  While  seated  in  the  hack 
awaiting  the  perfection  of  the  arrangements  for  his 


HOW  A  BRAVE  MAN  DIES.  Jgl 

execution,  lie  conversed  freely  with  the  utmost  non- 
chalance with  Dr.  Burrows,  frequently  smiling  at 
some  remark  made  either  by  himself  or  the  minister. 

"Arriving  under  the  gallows,  the  charges  preferred 
against  the  accused  and  the  sentence  of  the  court- 
martial  were  read.  A  short  but  impressive  prayer  was 
then  offered  by  the  minister,  at  the  conclusion  of  which 
the  condemned  man,  unaccompanied,  mounted  the 
scaffold. 

"  In  a  few  moments  Detective  Capehart  followed, 
and  commenced  to  adjust  the  rope  over  the  neck  of  the 
condemned,  in  which  he  assisted,  all  the  while  talking 
with  the  officer.  On  taking  off  his  hat,  to  admit  the 
noose  over  his  head,  he  threw  it  one  side,  and  falling 
off  the  scaffold,  it  struck  a  gentleman  beneath,  when 
the  prisoner  turned  quickly,  and  bowing,  said  :  '  Excuse 
me,  sir!' 

"A  negro  next  came  on  the  scaffold  with  a  ladder, 
and  proceeded  to  fasten  the  rope  to  the  upper  beam,  the 
prisoner  meanwhile  regarding  him  with  the  greatest 
composure.  The  rope  being  fastened,  the  negro  was 
in  the  act  of  coming  down,  when  the  prisoner,  looking 
up  at  the  rope,  remarked  :  '  This  will  not  break  my 
neck !  It  is  not  more  than  a  foot  fall !  Doctor,  I 
wish  you  would  come  up  and  arrange  this  thing!' 
The  rope  was  then  arranged  to  his  satisfaction,  and  the 
cloth  cap  placed  over  his  head. 

"The  condemned  man  then  bowed  his  head,  and 
engaged  a  few  seconds  in  prayer,  at  the  conclusion 
of  which  he  raised  himself,  and  standing  perfectly 
erect,  pronounced  in  a  clear  voice:  'All  ready!' 

"The  drop  fell,  and  the  condemned  man  was 
launched  into  eternity  !  " 


182  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Kellogg  is  said  by  his  captors  to  have  died  with  the 
conviction  that  he  had  furnished  more  valuable  infor- 
mation, in  the  character  of  a  spy,  to  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment than  any  other  ten  men  in  the  service.  But 
this  has  been  denied  by  his  friends  at  the  North,  who 
assert  that  he  was  innocent  of  the  charge. 

With  baseless  rumors  of  a  soon-to-be-effected  cartol 
of  exchange;  the  drawing  of  lots  for  the  selection  of 
hostages,  upon  whom  the  Confederacy  proposed  to 
retaliate  for  the  punishment  inflicted  upon  three  Con- 
federates by  the  Federal  authorities  who  had  sentenced 
them  to  imprisonment  in  the  Illinois  State  Prison  ; 
listening  to  yarns  spun  by  real  or  pretended  veterans; 
playing  games  of  chance;  holding  spirited  debates; 
reading  letters  from  home;  occasionally  poring  over  the 
newspaper  procured  by  stealth;  or  meditating  plans  of 
escape — the  balance  of  the  year  1863  wore  on  to  its 
close,  and  still  Willard  Glazier  was  a  prisoner  of  war, 
with  no  prospect  whatever  of  a  speedy  release.  Then 
came  New-Year's  Day,  January  first,  1864,  and  some 
little  attempt  was  made  to  get  up  a  New- Year's 
dinner — though  no  extra  rations  had  been  issued. 
They  did  their  best,  however,  like  Mark  Tapley,  to  IK; 
"jolly  under  unfavorable  circumstances." 

Nothing  occurred  out  of  the  usual  routine  until  the 
twenty-fourth  of  January,  when,  as  the  prisoners,  includ- 
ing Glazier,  were  singing  "  The  Star-Spangled  Banner," 
"Rally  Round  the  Flag,  Boys,"  etc.,  the  door  leading 
into  the  street  was  suddenly  flung  open,  and  a  squad 
of  armed  men  filed  in.  Turner  was  at  their  head,  and 
quickly  crossing  the  room  and  placing  himself  at  the 
door  leading  up-stairs,  to  prevent  any  of  the  prisoners 
from  making  their  escape,  began :  "Now  you  d — d 


BRUTALITY  OF  MAJOR   TURNER.  183 

boisterous  scoundrels,  I'll  teach  you  to  begin  your 
d — d  howling  in  this  building  again.  I  want  you  to 
understand  that  you  must  not  drive  people  crazy  out  in 
the  streets  with  your  villainous  Yankee  songs."  He 
then  turned  to  his  men  and  ordered  them  to  "  Take 
their  stations  around  the  d — d  rascals,  and  shoot  the 
first  man  that  dared  to  stir  out  of  his  tracks."  Having 
completed  which  arrangement,  he  added  to  his  helpless 
victims:  "Now,  d — n  you,  stay  here  until  twelve 
o'clock  to-night,  and  make  a  bit  of  noise  or  move  from 
your  place,  if  you  dare."  And  he  kept  them  there 
until  the  appointed  hour,  standing  and  in  silence.  "The 
fires  went  out  early  in  the  evening,  and  the  cold 
became  intense.  Some  managed  to  get  blankets  from 
their  friends,"  in  the  apartment  above,  "but  the 
guards  soon  put  a  stop  to  that.  One  man  called  down 
to  a  friend  through  a  knot-hole  in  the  floor,  asking  him 
if  he  wanted  a  blanket.  The  guard  heard  him,  cocked 
his  gun,  and  aimed  at  the  hole ;  but  a  call  from  below 
gave  the  man  warning  and  he  fled."  And  all  this  for 
singing  a  song  written  by  a  Southerner,  in  praise  of  the 
flag  under  whose  aegis  Major  Turner  was  nurtured  and 
received  his  military  education!  It  is  quite  possible 
that  a  song  identified  with  the  cause  of  their  supposed 
enemy  might  have  produced  a  commotion  among  the 
ignorant  rabble  in  the  street,  and  hence  it  is  perhaps 
unfair  to  blame  the  commander  of  the  prison  for  pro- 
hibiting the  loud  singing,  which  partook  somewhat  of 
the  nature  of  defiance ;  but  he  could  certainly  have 
attained  his  object  as  effectually  in  a  manner  becoming 
an  officer  and  a  gentleman.  Even  the  victims  of  the 
First  French  Revolution  were  permitted  to  express  in 
soiig  through  the  bars  of  the  Temple  sentiments  of 
14 


184  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

utter  scorn  for  their  enemies,  and  when  the  Jacobins  in 
their  turn  marched  to  the  guillotine  they  did  so,  sing- 
ing the  "  Marseillaise." 

A  great  sensation  was  created  among  the  prisoners  on 
the  twenty-fifth  of  the  month  on  account  of  a  visit  made 
to  "Libby"  by  the  famous  raider,  General  John  Mor- 
gan, whom  Glazier  described  is  a  "  large,  fine-looking 
officer,  wearing  a  full  beard  and  a  rebel  uniform, 
trimmed  with  the  usual  amount  of  gold  braid;"  but 
something  far  more  interesting  than  the  visit  of  any 
man,  however  famous,  began  to  absorb  the  attention 
of  our  imprisoned  hero  at  this  time.  He  had  never 
ceased  to  rack  his  brain  with  schemes  looking  to  his 
escape.  A  life  of  captivity  was  indescribably  weari- 
some to  him.  He  not  only  taxed  his  own  ingenuity 
in  the  effort  to  discover  some  feasible  plan,  but  eagerly 
entered  into  the  schemes  of  others.  The  result,  however, 
so  far  as  he  was  individually  concerned,  was  by  no 
means  in  accordance  with  his  hopes;  but,  as  he  has 
given  the  details  in  his  "Capture,  Prison-Pen,  and 
Escape,"  we  cannot  do  better  (even  at  the  risk  of  quot- 
ing from  that  work  more  freely  than  we  had  intended) 
than  to  let  our  readers  have  it  in  his  own  words,  thus : 

"Early  in  the  winter,  Colonel  Thomas  E.  Rose,  of 
the  Seventy-seventh  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  con- 
ceived a  plan  of  escape,  and  organized  a  secret  com- 
pany of  twenty-seven,  who  were  to  dig  their  way  to 
freedom. 

"Colonel  Rose  was  well  calculated  to  superintend 
this  work,  for  he  had  served  in  the  Mexican  War,  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  Mexicans,  and  after  a  short 
confinement,  escaped  by  tunneling  from  the  prison  a 
sufficient  distance  to  l>e  clear  of  the  guards.  He  had 


TUNNELING.  185 

served  his  apprenticeship  and  was  now  prepared  to 
manage  and  direct.  After  thorough  organization  of 
our  company,  with  secresy  well  enjoined,  we  adopted 
the  following  plan  of  operations: 

"In  the  basement  of  the  building  jnst  below  our 
cook-room,  was  a  small  unoccupied  cellar,  which  had 
been  closed  since  our  arrival,  and  was  never  entered. 
From  this  room  or  cellar  arose  a  large  chimney,  which 
passed  through  the  cook-room,  and  so  to  the  top  of  the 
building.  Our  first  work  was  to  make  a  hole  in  the 
chimney  from  the  kitchen,  which  opening  we  could 
easily  conceal  by  means  of  some  slop-barrels.  These 
barrels  we  managed  to  empty  ourselves  so  that  all 
danger  of  detection  from  this  point  was  carefully 
avoided.  A  short  ladder  which  our  Confederate  jailers 
had  brought  into  the  rooms  for  the  purpose  of  raising 
their  flag  on  the  building,  was  used  to  make  our 
descent  into  the  dark  room  below.  Inquiry  was 
made  for  the  ladder,  but  as  no  one  seemed  to  know 
anything  about  it,  it  was  inferred  that  it  had  been  con- 
verted into  fuel.  At  the  foot  of  the  ladder  another 
opening  was  made  through  the  chimney  wall  leading 
into  the  underground  basement  room.  By  removing  a 
few  stones  from  the  wall  of  this  place,  we  were  in  a 
situation  to  commence  the  work  of  tunneling.  The 
only  implements  in  our  possession  were  an  old  trowel 
and  the  half  of  a  canteen.  The  arduous  labor  was  com- 
menced with  only  the  fragment  of  a  canteen,  but  with 
this  the  progress  was  so  slow  that  even  the  most 
patient  weredisheartened.  Fortunately  for  us  a  mason 
came  in  to  repair  the  prison  walls,  and  going  to  dinner 
before  he  had  finished  his  work,  left  his  trowel,  which 
in  his  absence  most  mysteriously  disappeared.  To  him 


186  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

it  may  have  been  of  little  account,  to  us  it  was  a  godsend. 
With  the  aid  of  this  implement  we  were  enabled  to 
make  more  rapid  progress ;  were  greatly  encouraged, 
and  worked  night  and  day  with  ceaseless  energy.  Two 
of  our  number  were  kept  in  the  tunnel  almost  con- 
stantly. One,  by  a  vigorous  use  of  the  trowel  and 
canteen,  would  advance  slowly,  placing  the  loosened 
earth  in  an  old  blanket,  which  the  other  would  convey 
out  of  the  tunnel  into  a  corner  of  the  room,  from 
whence  it  started.  Our  course  was  due  east,  under  the 
street,  where  constantly  paced  the  sentinels,  who  at 
every  hour  of  the  night  were  wont  to  cry :  '  Post  No.  1 ; 
all's  well ! '— '  Post  No.  2 ;  all's  well ! '  etc.  Little  did 
they  dream  that  Yankee  ingenuity  and  perseverance 
were  perforating  the  solid  earth  under  their  feet,  and 
opening  a  path  to  freedom. 

"As  we  progressed  in  our  work  we  experienced  great 
difficulty  from  the  want  of  pure  air  to  breathe,  and  to 
sustain  our  candles,  which  refused  to  burn.  Conse- 
quently, one  of  our  party  was  compelled  to  stand  at 
the  opening,  fanning  pure  air  into  the  tunnel  with  his 
hat.  Our  atmospheric  difficulties  were  the  more  in- 
creased by  the  small  size  of  the  hole,  which  was  a  little 
less  than  two  feet  in  diameter,  quite  irregular  in  con- 
sequence of  large  stones,  and  descended  in  a  line  below 
the  horizontal.  This  severe  labor  was  carried  on 
without  nuch  interruption  for  more  than  three  weeks, 
when,  at  last,  the  plan  came  near  being  a  failure  on 
account  of  a  sad  mistake  in  our  measurement.  Our 
intention  was  to  reach  the  yard  of  an  old  shed,  or 
warehouse,  in  which  were  then  stored  the  boxes  sent  us 
by  the  Christian  and  Sanitary  Commissions,  and  by 
our  friends  at  the  North. 


THE  GREAT  YANKEE  TUNNEL.      187 

"Thinking  we  had  reached  the  desired  point,  an 
opening  was  made  to  the  surface,  when  it  was  found 
we  were  still  in  the  street,  outside  the  fence,  and  within 
a  few  yards  of  the  sentries.  Not  discovered  by  this 
mishap,  the  hole  was  quickly  filled  witli  a  pair  of  old 
pants  and  some  straw,  and  the  work  of  excavation 
continued  to  the  spot  intended. 

"  The  selection  of  this  point  was  very  fortunate,  as 
the  guards  used  to  skulk  about  this  building  at  night 
for  the  purpose  of  plundering  the  boxes,  and  on  the 
night  of  the  escape,  as  it  happened,  they  saw  every 
man  that  came  out ;  but,  supposing  them  to  be  friends, 
only  whispered  to  each  other,  that  'the  boys  were  going 
through  the  Yankee  boxes  mighty  fast.' 

"  These  whisperings,"  adds  Captain  Glazier,  "  were 
distinctly  heard  by  some  of  our  men.  The  tunnel  was 
about  sixty-five  feet  in  length,  and  was  ready  for  use 
February  ninth,  1864. 

"The  company  of  diggers  had  arranged  that  they 
should  make  their  egress  first,  and  inform  the  others 
just  as  they  were  going  out.  But  each  man  had  a 
particular  friend  whom  he  wished  to  notify,  and,  as 
we  were  seen  packing  our  clothing,  it  soon  became 
suspected  among  our  fellow-prisoners  that  something 
unusual  was  in  the  wind.  Curiosity,  once  on  the  alert, 
soon  discovered  the  secret,  and  then  all  were  jubilant 
with  the  hope  of  escape,  and  forthwith  commenced 
packing  their  poor  wardrobes.  But  egress  was  so  slow 
that  it  soon  became  evident  to  the  cool  calculator  that, 
at  best,  but  a  comparatively  small  proportion  of  our 
number  would  be  fortunate  enough  to  take  their 
departure  from  'Libby'  before  daylight  would  forbid 
any  further  efforts  in  that  direction. 


188  SWORD  AND  PEN 

"  In  order  to  get  down  the  chimney,  as  well  as  along 
the  tunnel,  it  was  necessary  to  do  so  in  puris  naturali- 
bus,  wrap  our  clothing  in  a  bundle,  and  push  it  on 
before  us.  As  soon  as  it  was  seen  that  only  a  few 
could  possibly  get  out,  many,  and  in  fact  most,  became 
selfish,  and  thought  only  of  attaining  their  own  liberty. 
All  rushed  for  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel,  each  man 
seemingly  determined  to  be  first  out.  By  this  move- 
ment, the  organization  formed  by  the  pioneers  or 
working  party  was  broken  up,  and  the  workmen,  who 
were  to  have  had  the  first  opportunity  to  escape,  were 
not  more  favorably  situated  than  those  who  had  never 
borne  a  hand  in  the  digging.  At  the  entrance  to  the 
tunnel  were  hundreds  eagerly  awaiting  their  turn. 

"  Through  the  intense  anxiety  and  excitement  that 
arose,  there  was  a  rush  and  a  crowd,  each  one  being 
eager  to  improve  the  opportunity.  Muscle  was  the 
trump  card,  and  won.  The  weak  had  to  step  aside,  or 
rather  they  were  pushed  aside  without  apology.  No 
respect  was  paid  to  rank  or  name.  A  long-armed 
second  lieutenant  had  no  scruple  in  taking  hold  of  a 
pair  of  shoulders  that  wore  eagles,  and  pushing  them 
out  of  the  way.  It  was  sauve  qul  peut,  and  no  stand- 
ing aside  for  betters — no  deference  to  age,  and  gray 
hairs  ceased  to  be  honored.  Mere  physical  force  was 
the  test  of  championship.  Those  poor  weak  ones  who 
gravitated  to  the  outskirts  of  such  an  eager  crowding 
mass — -just  as  the  light  kernels  will  find  their  way  to 
the  top  of  a  shaken  measure  of  wheat — doubtless 
thought,  as  they  felt  themselves  crowded  further  and 
further  from  the  door  of  egress : 

" '  Oh,  it  is  excellent 

To  have  a  giant's  strength,  but  'tis  tyrannous 
To  use  it  like  a  giant ! ' 


GUARDS!   GUARDS!  189 

"  I  made  several  attempts,"  Glazier  continues,  "  u> 
assert  what  I  considered  my  riglits,  but  as  I  had  not, 
at  that  time,  much  muscle  to  back  my  claims,  they 
were  not  recognized,  and  thus  I  spent  the  whole  night 
in  a  bootless  struggle  for  freedom. 

"  In  digging  the  tunnel  we  had  encountered  a  large 
root  which  we  could  not  well  remove,  and  the  passage 
at  this  point  was  very  narrow.  Lieutenant  Wallace 
F.  Randolph,  Fifth  United  States  Artillery,  a  corpu- 
lent fellow,  was  caught  fast  by  the  root.  There  was  a 
man  before  him,  and  another  behind,  which  almost 
entirely  excluded  atmospheric  circulation,  and  before 
they  could  pull  him  out  of  his  unfortunate  predicament, 
Randolph  was  almost  dead.  He  was,  however,  suc- 
cessful at  last.  This  blockade  greatly  retarded  the 
line  of  march,  and  made  the  crowd  within  still  more 
desperate. 

"Some  of  the  outsiders  in  the  struggle,  who  despaired 
of  accomplishing  anything  by  strength,  had  recourse 
to  a  stratagem.  There  had  been  considerable  noise 
during  the  struggle  for  position,  and  the  guards  were 
expected  to  make  their  appearance  at  any  moment. 
The  outsiders,  taking  advantage  of  this  apprehension, 
went  to  the  farther  end  of  the  cook -room,  and,  in  the  dark- 
ness, made  a  racket  with  pots  and  kettles,  which  sounded 
very  much  like  the  clashing  of  fire-arms;  while  some 
of  their  number  in  the  crowd  sang  out:  'Guards! 
guards ! '  In  an  instant  every  man  was  gone  from  the 
tunnel,  and  a  frantic  rush  took  place  for  the  single 
stairway  by  about  five  hundred  men.  Such  a  strug- 
gling and  pressing  I  have  never  elsewhere  seen,  or 
participated  in.  We  neither  walked  up,  nor  ran  up, 
but  were  literally  lifted  from  our  feet,  and  propelled 


190  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

along  in  a  solid  mass  up  the  passage,  and  made  our 
entrance  through  the  door  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  as 
though  shot  from  a  cannon — most  of  us  not  stopping 
until  we  struck  the  wall  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
room.  While  this  was  going  on,  the  scamps  who  had 
given  the  false  alarm  were  quietly  passing  out  of  the 
tunnel !  The  ruse  was  soon  discovered,  however,  and, 
in  a  few  minutes,  there  was  as  great  a  jam  at  the 
entrance  of  the  tunnel  as  ever.  But,  so  eager  and 
unthinking  were  we,  that  within  half  an  hour,  the 
same  trick  was  played  on  us  again  by  others  and 
then  followed  another  stampede  up  the  stairs.  It  is  a 
wonder  this  affair  was  not  stopped  by  the  guards,  but 
they  had  no  suspicion  whatever  of  what  was  going  on. 
This  was  probably  owing  to  the  fact  that  great  noises  in 
the  cook-room  were  common  throughout  the  night  as 
well  as  day.  It  is  however  reported  that  one  of  the 
sentinels  was  heard  to  call  out  jocosely  to  a  comrade  on 
the  next  beat,  'Hello,  Billy!  there  goes  somebody's 
coffee-pot,  sure/ 

"  This  struggle  continued  until  morning,  when  the 
opening  in  the  chimney  was  covered,  and  we  went  to 
our  several  quarters.  Here  a  muster  was  called  to  dis- 
cover how  many  had  made  their  escape,  when  it  was 
found  that  one  hundred  and  fifteen  were  missing. 
Arrangements  were  at  once  made  to  account  for  their 
absence,  and  certain  men  were  designated  who  were  to 
cross  the  room  slyly  during  roll-call,  and  be  counted 
twice. 

"  For  some  reason  the  authorities  were  late  that 
morning,  and  did  not  make  their  appearance  until 
about  ten  o'clock.  On  the  roll  being  called  the  men, 
according  to  arrangement,  attempted  to  cross  the  room, 


RECAPTURE  OF  PRISONERS.  191 

but  the  movement  was  discovered,  and  so  the  count 
showed  one  hundred  and  fifteen  short.  The  clerk 
thought  he  had  made  a  mistake,  and  counted  again, 
but  with  the  same  result.  The  authorities  also  thought 
there  must  be  some  error  in  the  count,  and  joked  little 
Ross,  the  prison  clerk,  who  was  none  of  the  brightest, 
because  he  could  not  count  a  thousand  Yankees ! 

"  We  were  now  marched  from  one  room  to  another, 
and  counted  one  by  one,  but  still  there  were  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  short  of  the  complement.  We, 
of  course,  pretended  to  be  as  much  surprised  as  the 
authorities.  They  next  sent  for  Major  Turner,  and  he 
counted  us  two  or  three  times,  but  with  an  equally  un- 
satisfactory result.  He  demanded  of  us  where  they 
had  gone,  and  how  they  got  out;  but  not  a  man 
knew. 

"The  escape  was  at  once  made  public,  and  the  papers 
were  filled  with  the  news,  and  the  most  strenuous 
measures  at  once  adopted  to  ensure  the  recapture  of 
the  runaways.  The  authorities  were  terribly  exasper- 
ated, and  as  a  first  step,  arrested  the  guards  and  threw 
them  into  Castle  Thunder,  concluding  as  a  matter  of 
course,  that  they  had  been  bribed.  This  set  the  guards 
thinking,  and  one  of  them  remembered  he  had  seen  an 
unusual  number  of  men  in  the  lot  near  the  Yankee 
boxes.  Latouche,  the  prison  adjutant,  hearing  of  this, 
just  before  nightfall  discovered  the  locality  of  the 
opening.  Next,  they  questioned  the  prisoners  as  to 
where  in  the  building  it  began,  but  could  obtain  no 
satisfaction,  and  not  until  after  a  long  search,  did  they 
discover  the  opening  in  the  chimney." 

So  the  "patient  toil  and  vigil  long"  of  poor  Glazier 
went  for  nothing.  The  Confederate  authorities  seem  to 


192  SWORD   AND  PEN. 

have  treated  the  matter  very  good-humoredly,  frankly 
expressed  their  surprise  at  the  ingenuity  and  patience 
of  the  subterranean  engineers,  and  manfully  set  about 
the  task  of  recapturing  the  fugitives.  Forty-eight 
were  brought  in  during  the  next  two  days,  but  at 
the  same  time  it  leaked  out  among  the  prisoners  that 
the  Unionists  under  General  Kilpatrick  were  within 
the  outer  line  of  fortifications,  engaging  the  rebels, 
as  it  was  conjectured,  with  the  view  of  rescuing  the 
prisoners.  The  consequence  was,  there  was  much 
excitement  among  the  latter,  for  the  boom  of  cannon 
sounded  distinctly  in  their  ears,  and  that  sound  was 
accepted  as  the  music  that  heralded  their  approaching 
freedom. 

All  such  hopes,  however,  were  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment. The  object  of  the  expedition,  which  was  a 
combined  movement  from  different  points  by  General 
Kilpatrick  and  Colonel  Dahlgren,  was  defeated  in  con- 
sequence of  the  treachery  of  a  negro  guide,  employed 
by  the  latter  officer,  and  one  of  the  effects  of  this  man's 
treason  was  the  death  of  that  gallant  young  soldier. 
The  only  result  that  followed  to  the  prisoners  was  that 
the  rebels  became  more  exasperated  than  ever,  and 
unfortunately  for  their  reputation,  they  seem,  with 
regard  to  the  treatment  of  the  few  prisoners  that  fell 
into  their  hands  on  this  occasion,  to  have  behaved 
rather  like  savage  than  civilized  people.  Not  satisfied 
with  the  perpetration  of  acts  of  cruelty  upon  these 
particular  prisoners,  they  (according  to  Captain  Gla- 
zier's information)  undermined  the  prison  building, 
and  stored  beneath  the  foundation  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  powder  to  blow  it  into  fragments.  This  proceeding 
he  says  they  called,  with  more  force  than  elegance, 


THE  HOLE   IN  THE  FLOOR. 


PREPARING    YANKEES  FOR  HEAVEN.       193 

"  preparing  the  Yankees  for  hell ;  "  and  Major  Turner 
very  grimly  informed  them  that  if  any  further  attempt 
at  escape  were  made,  or  efforts  for  their  rescue,  the 
prison  would  be  blown  to  atoms!  It  is  not  surprising 
that  at  such  a  time,  and  under  the  circumstances,  the 
prisoners  looked  upon  this  threat  as  meant  in  sober 
reality;  but  in  all  probability  (or  at  least  let  us  hope), 
it  was  used  simply  as  a  means  of  discouraging  attempts 
upon  the  part  of  the  incarcerated  men,  to  regain  their 
liberty  by  their  own  efforts  or  that  of  their  friends. 

The  raiders  captured  in  the  expedition  under  Kil- 
patrick  and  Dahlgren  had  been  thrust  into  a  cell 
directly  beneath  the  room  in  which  Glazier  was  con- 
fined. Contrivances  were  made  to  open  communica- 
tion with  them  for  the  purpose,  if  possible,  of  allevia- 
ting their  sufferings,  as  it  was  well  known  that  food 
was  issued  to  them  in  very  niggardly  quantities,  and 
every  indignity  the  rebels  could  devise  inflicted  upon 
them.  After  much  effort,  by  the  aid  of  a  knife,  a  hole 
was  cut  in  the  floor,  sufficiently  large  to  pass  a  man's 
hand,  and  through  this  ho!e  Glazier,  for  several  weeks, 
was  instrumental  in  furnishing  the  captives  with  a 
share  of  his  own  and  his  companions'  rations,  which 
were  eagerly  grasped  and  devoured  by  the  starving 
men.  No  single  act  of  our  hero's  life  afforded  him 
more  real  happiness  than  the  service  he  was  thus  ena- 
bled to  render  the  brave  men  who  had  lost  their  liberty 
in  the  noble  effort  to  capture  the  prison  and  release  its 
inmates. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

DANVILLE. — MACON. — SAVANNAH. 

Belle  Boyd,  the  Confederate  spy. — National  characteristics. — Colonel 
Mosby. — Richmond  to  Danville. — Sleeping  spoon-fashion. — Gla- 
zier's "corrective  point  "  suffers. — Saltatory  entrance  to  a  rail- 
road car. — Colonel  Joselyn. — Sympathy  of  North  Carolinians. — 
Ingenious  efforts  to  escape. — Augusta. — Macon. — Turner  again  ! — 
"Carelessness"  with  firearms. — Tunneling. — Religious  revival. — 
Order  from  Confederate  War  Department. — Murder  ! — Fourth  of 
July. — Macon  to  Savannah. — Camp  Davidson. — More  tunneling. 

THE  celebrated  Confederate  spy,  Belle  Boyd,  paid  a 
visit  to  "  Libby  "  in  the  latter  part  of  March,  and 
her    presence    created    much    comment    among     the 
prisoners.     She  was  not  that  ideal  of  grace  and  gentle- 
ness which 

"Untutored  youth, 
Unlearned  in  the  world's  false  subtleties," 

enthrones  within  the  temple  of  his  heart,  but  was,  not- 
withstanding, a  remarkable  woman.  With  much  of 
the  enthusiasm  that  characterized  "La  Pucdle"  she 
appears  to  have  combined  a  considerable  allowance  of 
shrewdness,  or  common  sense ;  a  mixture  of  qualities, 
by  the  way,  of  more  common  occurrence  than  is  gener- 
ally supposed,  among  the  northern  and  southern 
people  of  our  continent.  There  is  little  difference 
between  the  "  peartness  "  of  the  one,  and  the  "  smart- 
ness" of  the  other;  or  the  "  high  tone"  of  the  South, 
and  the  nonchalance  of  the  North.  The  common 
(194) 


NATIONAL   CHARACTERISTICS.  195 

national  characteristic  of  the  people  of  both  sections, 
however,  is  the  power  of  adapting  themselves  to  every 
variety  of  circumstance.  No  matter  what  the  impor- 
tance, or  the  insignificance  of  the  occasion,  or  event, 
upon  which  they  perceive  that  their  opportunity  for 
the  attainment  of  a  desired  object  depends,  they  are 
ready  at  the  right  moment  to  seize  and  turn  it  to 
account;  and  while,  to-day,  the  banks  of  the  Ganges 
or  the  Tigris  are  made  to  yield  up  to  them  the  fruits 
of  their  industry  and  produce,  to-morrow,  when  a 
modification  of  the  law  of  demand  and  supply  prevails, 
we  find  the  same  men  following  the  tide  of  fortune 
through  humbler  but  equally  useful  channels.  We 
are  pre-eminently  a  practical  people,  and  that  this 
characteristic  to  some  extent  destroys  the  poetic  aspect 
of  American  life,  cannot  be  gainsaid.  The  homes 
of  our  infancy,  the  graves  of  our  kindred,  the  hills 
upon  whose  summits  we  first  felt  the  glory  of  the  morn- 
ing, the  altar  at  which  we  first  knelt  in  prayer,  the 
rustic  nook  where  we  listened  for  the  one  step  to  which 
our  boyish  hearts  beat  sweetest  time;  have  no  power 
to  trammel  our  migratory  proclivities,  or  to  check  our 
local  inconstancy.  The  sentiments  with  which  such 
objects  are  indissolubly  connected,  are  but  tendrils 
clinging  round  the  parent  nest,  and  the  wings  of  the 
new-fledged  bird,  bursting  them  asunder,  he  soars  out 
into  the  world  to  contend  and  battle  with  its  storms. 

One  of  the  least  attractive  illustrations  of  this  spirit 
of  unrest,  is  where  it  extends  to  our  women,  and  Miss 
Belle  Boyd's  is  in  our  estimation  a  case  in  point. 

"  Unknown  to  her  the  rigid  rule, 

The  dull  restraint,  the  chiding  frown, 
The  weary  torture  of  the  school ; 
The  taming  of  wild  nature  down. 


196  SWORD   AND   PEN. 

Her  only  lore,  the  legends  told 
Around  the  soldiers'  fire  ;  at  night 

Stars  rose  and  set,  and  seasons  rolled  ; 
Flowers  bloomed,  and  snowflakes  fell, 
Unquestioned,  in  her  sight !  " 

Her  career  was  full  of  adventure  and  intrepid  daring, 
and  she  served  the  disloyal  cause  she  espoused  faith- 
fully and  to  the  bitter  end;  and  then,  like  other  wander- 
ing stars  of  the  unholy  strife,  sank  into  the  oblivion  of 
private  life.  From  the  time  of  Miss  Boyd's  visit  until 
the  seventh  of  May,  Willard  Glazier  continued  to  lead 
the  same  dull  life  at  Libby  Prison.  The  monotony  of 
the  hours  was  unbroken  by  any  circumstance  more 
exciting  than  a  visit  from  the  celebrated  partisan  chief, 
Mosby,  who  is  described  by  Glazier  as  a  preux  chevalier, 
at  that  time  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  in  figure, 
slight,  with  straight  fair  hair  and  closely  shaven  face, 
except  that  "a  faded  German  moustache  overshadowed 
his  upper  lip."  It  does  not  appear  that  he  was  recog- 
nized as  a  welcome  visitor,  although  he  jocularly 
remarked  to  some  of  the  prisoners  who  had  been  cap- 
tured by  his  own  troopers  that  he  was  "glad  to  see 
them  there." 

Time !  what  wonders  dost  thou  work.  But  a  few 
years  have  passed,  and  Mosby,  who  was  erst  so  malig- 
nant a  rebel,  that  even  the  poor,  but  loyal,  prisoners, 
presented  him  the  cold  shoulder,  is  now  a  confidential 
friend  of  General  U.  S.  Grant !  Longstreet  again 
swears  by  the  Star-Spangled  Banner ;  and  Beauregard, 
hero  of  Sumter  and  Bull  Run,  is  now  an  advocate  of 
perfect  equality  between  the  black  and  white  races  of 
his  Southern  State  of  Louisiana ! 

The  visit  of  Colonel  Mosby  was  the  last  memorable 


GLAZIER  ATTEMPTS  TO  ESCAPE.  197 

incident  of  our  hero's  sojourn  in  Libby.  Upon  the 
seventh  of  May  following,  the  prisoners  were  removed 
thence  to  Danville,  Virginia.  Several,  in  the  course 
of  this  transit,  effected  their  escape,  but  the  great 
majority  were  safely  conveyed  to  their  new  place  of  im- 
prisonment. The  change  made  no  improvement  in 
their  unhappy  condition.  True,  the  rations  furnished 
at  Danville  were  of  somewhat  better  quality,  and  more 
liberal  in  quantity,  but  the  discipline  was  equally 
Draconian,  and  the  penalty  of  its  slightest  infraction — 
Death  !  The  chief  source  of  misery  among  the  captives 
was  want  of  room,  the  men  being  compelled  to  sleep 
"spoon-fashion,"  and  in  detachments,  many  being 
compelled  to  stand  up  awake  while  their  comrades 
slept  as  best  they  could. 

This  condition  of  things,  however,  did  not  last  long. 
Early  upon  the  morning  of  the  twelfth,  the  prisoners 
were  once  more  marched  out  and  started  southward. 
After  a  journey  of  twenty-four  hours  in  cattle  cars,  ex- 
posed most  of  the  time  to  a  drenching  rain,  they  were 
disembarked  and  tramped  another  twelve  miles  to 
Greensboro.  Here  the  mass  of  weary,  wet,  and  hope- 
less patriots  were  about  to  be  driven,  pell-mell,  like  a 
herd  of  cattle,  into  a  train  of  filthy  cars,  when  young 
Glazier  thought  he  espied  a  chance  of  evading  his 
captors.  He  waited  until  it  appeared  to  him  that  the 
guard  was  sufficiently  occupied  with  other  duties  to  over- 
look his  whereabouts,  and  then  slipped  behind  a  log, 
where  in  an  instant  he  lay  upon  the  ground  apparently 
fast  asleep,  trusting  in  the  confusion  attendant  upon  the 
departure  of  the  train  to  escape  observation.  But  luck 
was  against  him.  The  only  result  was  the  infliction 
upon  that  portion  of  his  body  which  some  mothers 
16 


198  SWORD   AND   PEN. 

consider  the  "corrective  point"  of  their  children,  of 
sundry  unceremonious  kicks,  which,  coming  from  such 
boots  as  the  "  C.  S.  A."  at  that  time  supplied  to  their 
soldiers,  were  felt  to  be  more  persuasive  than  agree- 
able. Of  course  it  became  necessary  to  awaken  from 
his  profound  slumber  slowly,  which  made  the  kicks 
still  more  persuasive,  and  by  the  time  he  was  erect, 
the  cars  were  filled  and  the  doors  all  closed.  The 
guards  therefore  insisted  upon  his  effecting  an  entrance 
through  the  small  window,  which  he  did  with  certain 
vigorous  assistance  from  behind,  and  landed  upon  the 
head  and  shoulders  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Joselyn,  of 
the  Fifteenth  Massachusetts  Infantry,  who  passed  him 
around  in  such  a  way  that  the  other  occupants  of  the 
car  were  moved  to  sundry  objurgations  at  the  expense 
of  our  young  friend  more  forcible  than  polite,  and  par- 
taking little  of  the  nature  of  a  hospitable  reception  ! 
However,  this  is  a  world  of  compromises,  and  Glazier 
soon  found  his  level  among  his  fellow-captives. 

Their  route  took  them  through  a  portion  of  North 
Carolina,  where  for  the  first  time  they  met  with  un- 
mistakable proofs  of  sympathy.  At  one  city,  on 
learning  there  were  Yankee  prisoners  in  town,  the 
citizens  came  out  in  large  numbers.  Many  attempted 
to  converse  with  them,  but  were  forced  back  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet.  The  prisoners  then  struck  up 
the  "  Star-Spangled  Banner,"  and  "  Rally  Round  the 
Flag,"  and  in  each  interlude  could  see  white  handker- 
chiefs waving  in  the  breeze,  demonstrations  that  so 
exasperated  the  Virginia  guard  that  they  sent  a  detail 
to  drive  "the  d — d  tar-heels"  from  the  field. 

The  contiguity  of  friends  of  course  presented  a 
•trong  temptation  to  some  to  strike  for  liberty.  Every 


BURIED  ALIVE!  199 

device  promising  the  least  chance  of  escape  was  there- 
fore resorted  to.  Among  the  most  ingenious  of  these 
was  one  so  graphically  described  by  young  Glazier 
that  we  make  no  apology  for  again  using  his  language : 

"  The  night  being  very  dark,"  he  writes,  "  and  the 
soil  where  we  were  huddled  together  very  sandy  and 
light,  many  of  the  prisoners  dug  holes  in  the  ground  and 
there  buried  themselves,  hoping  thus  to  escape  the  ob- 
servation of  the  guard  when  we  should  be  marched 
from  the  field  to  the  cars.  Unfortunately,  however, 
the  scheme  was  exposed  by  one  of  the  guard  who  ac- 
cidentally stumbled  into  one  of  the  holes,  in  the  bottom 
of  which  he  beheld  a  live  'Yankee.'  Struck  with 
amazement,  he  shouted  out:  'Oh,  my  G — ,  Captain, 
here  is  a  Yankee  buried  alive ! '  Great  excitement  was 
the  natural  consequence.  A  general  search  ensued, 
torch-lights  were  used,  and  the  trees  and  ground 
thoroughly  inspected.  This  investigation  brought  to 
light  several  holes  of  a  similar  character,  each  having 
deposited  therein  a  Federal  prisoner.  The  guards  were 
very  angry  and  went  about  shouting,  '  Run  them 
through !  Pick  up  the  d — d  hounds ! '  but  their 
captain,  a  good-natured  sort  of  man,  stopped  all  this. 
'No/  said  he,  'the  d— d  Yankees  have  a  right  to 
escape  if  they  can.  Let  them  alone.  I'll  risk  their 
getting  away  from  me ! ' 3 

Some  of  the  burrowers  did  escape,  however,  and 
several  others  hid  themselves  in  the  foliage  and  were 
left  behind. 

After  this  nothing  eventful  occurred  upon  the  way, 
and  on  the  fifteenth  of  the  same  month,  the  whole 
party  arrived  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  and  found  the  home 
guards,  to  whose  custody  they  were  consigned,  a  bad 
lot  From  that  city  they  were  soon  after  removed  to 


200  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Macon.  Up  to  this  period,  amid  all  the  mortifications 
of  their  condition,  notwithstanding  their  tiresome 
rides  and  weary  marches;  despite  the  chagrin  they 
naturally  felt  when  well-laid  plans  of  escape  were  frus- 
trated by  accidents  beyond  the  power  of  men  to  foresee, 
they  still  had  one  source  of  consolation — there  was  at 
least  one  drop  of  balm  in  Gilead — -for  had  they  not, 
gotten  rid  of — Turner! 

Judge,  then,  of  their  mingled  horror  and  despair 
when  they  reached  the  front  gate  of  Camp  Oglethorpe, 
their  future  prison,  to  find  that  monster  before  them, 
lounging  gracefully  against  the  gate  entrance,  and  evi- 
dently delighted  with  the  idea  of  being  in  a  condition 
to  shock  his  former  victims  with  his  presence. 

The  laugh,  however,  was  not  entirely  his,  for,  upon 
mustering  them,  he  discovered  that  forty-seven  had 
escaped.  Smothering  his  wrath  for  the  moment,  he 
welcomed  the  remainder  to  their  prison-house,  with  the 
gratifying  intelligence  that  it  had  its  dead-line,  and  all 
who  approached  it  had  better  be  ready  to  meet  the 
contingencies  of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punish- 
ments! 

After  horrifying  them  with  his  presence,  he  shortly 
took  himself  off,  and  not  long  afterward,  to  their  great 
relief,  was  ordered  back  to  Richmond. 

Before  the  week  had  expired,  Glazier  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  estimating  how  careless  (?)  some  of  his 
custodians  were  in  handling  their  firearms,  being  an 
eye-witness  of  an  attempt  by  a  sentinel  to  shoot  Lieu- 
tenant Barker,  of  the  First  Rhode  Island  Cavalry.  The 
bullet,  kinder  than  the  boy  who  sped  it  on  its  errand 
(for  this  guard  was  not  over  fourteen  years  of  age), 
passed  over  the  old  man's  head.  As  the  latter  noted 


A  YOUNG  MONSTER.  201 

the  direction  of  the  lad's  aim,  and  heard  the  whistle  of 
the  bullet  above  him,  he  very  temperately  asked  the 
somewhat  unnecessary  question, "  What  are  you  shooting 
at?"  "  I  am  shooting  at  you,  you  d — d  old  cuss."  "  What 
are  you  shooting  at  me  for?"  mildly  inquired  the  lieu- 
tenant. "Because  you  had  your  hands  on  the  dead- 
line," answered  the  boy.  At  this  moment  the  sergeant 
of  the  guard  came  up,  and  taking  the  precocious  ruf- 
fian by  the  collar,  shook  him  with  considerable  energy, 
and  demanded  of  him  very  fiercely,  "  What  the  devil 
are  you  shooting  at  that  prisoner  for,  you  little  scoun- 
drel?" The  boy  replied  that  the  prisoner  had  his 
hands  on  the  dead-line.  Whereupon  the  sergeant 
shook  him  again,  told  him  he  was  a  liar,  and  that  the 
lieutenant  was  not  within  twenty  feet  of  the  dead-line, 
and  consigned  him  to  the  custody  of  the  corporal  of 
the  guard,  who  marched  the  young  monster  away. 

Captain  Glazier  states  that  he  was  within  ten  feet  of 
the  lieutenant  when  the  shot  was  fired,  and  that  the  latter 
was  not  within  thirty  feet  of  the  fatal  line.  The  incident 
was  not  very  exhilarating  upon  the  threshold  of  his 
new  abode,  and  the  prisoners  naturally  felt  greatly 
exasperated  when  they  heard  the  particulars. 

An  order  was  promulgated  next  morning  by  the 
officer  commanding,  Captain  W.  K.  Tabb,  directing 
that  "any  of  their  number  not  in  ranks  at  roll-call 
should  be  shot,"  which  was  not  calculated  to  make  them 
think  more  kindly  of  their  jailers.  The  fact  is,  that  the 
prisoners,  in  pursuance  of  a  settled  determination  to  lose 
no  opportunity  of  escape  that  seemed  at  all  feasible, 
had  been  again  making  experiments  in  tunneling,  and 
this  atrocious  order  was  intended  as  a  measure  of  pre- 
caution against  similar  schemes  in  future. 


202  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Thus  excluded  from  the  relief  afforded  by  such  hope- 
ful occupation,  their  poor  captives  had  to  find  other 
employment  for  their  leisure  hours,  and  at  this  time  a 
kind  of  religious  revival  took  place  among  them,  and 
if  human  prayer  could  have  effected  the  destruction  of 
the  Confederacy,  that  organization  would  certainly  have 
crumbled  into  dust  forthwith.  The  enthusiasm  was  so 
great  that  at  times  the  exercises  bordered  upon  tumult, 
and  greatly  incensed  their  less  fervent  guards.  At  one 
time  a  huge  Western  man  poured  forth  such  a  rhap- 
sody in  favor  of  Grant  and  Sherman,  and  garnished  it 
with  such  pungent  denunciations  of  Jefferson  Davis, 
and  other  Confederate  magnates,  that  one  of  the 
jailers  commented  thus:  "D — d  smart  praying,  but  it 
won't  do!  It  won't  do!" 

On  the  morning  of  the  tenth  of  August,  an  order 
from  the  Confederate  War  Department  was  read  before 
the  entire  garrison  of  Camp  Oglethorpe,  and  caused  much 
excitement.  Ihis  order  directed  that  a  detachment  of 
fifty  prisoners,  selected  from  officers  of  the  highest 
rank,  should  be  forwarded  to  Charleston,  in  order  that 
they  might  be  placed  under  the  fire  of  the  siege  guns 
with  which  the  beleaguering  Union  forces  were  attempt- 
ing the  reduction  of  that  city.  The  order  further 
directed  that  Generals  Scammon,  Wessels,  Seymour, 
Schuyler  and  Heckman  should  be  included  in  the 
number.  The  mandate  was  of  course  at  once  executed, 
and  the  departure  of  the  devoted  band  was  the  signal 
for  a  wild  burst  of  indignant  reprobation  of  the  Con- 
federate authorities.  It  happened  also,  at  this  time, 
that  one  of  the  sentinels  shot  and  mortally  wounded  a 
prisoner.  The  victim's  name  was  Otto  Grierson,  and 
he  had  been  a  general  favorite.  The  excuse  assigned 


OTTO  GRIERSON.  203 

for  the  murder  was  that  he  was  endeavoring  to  escape, 
but  his  comrades  declared  that  at  the  time  the  shot  was 
fired,  he  was  fully  sixteen  feet  from  the  dead-line,  and 
had  made  no  attempt  to  escape.  Young  Glazier  and 
others  joined  in  a  formal  report  of  the  facts  to  the 
officer  in  command,  but  the  only  result  was  that  the 
murderer  received  promotion,  and  was  granted  a 
furlough ! 

If  the  statements  of  Captain  Glazier  regarding  this 
and  other  contemporaneous  outrages  are  to  be  relied 
upon  (and  he  is  very  strongly  corroborated),  the  officers 
commanding  this  military  prison  sadly  abused  their 
trust.  Even  the  highest  of  those  officials  indulged  in 
such  petty  exhibitions  of  puerile  spite  as  to  be  alto- 
gether unworthy  of  his  station,  or  even  the  name  of  an 
American. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  the  prisoners 
very  naturally  determined,  as  far  as  their  limited 
resources  would  permit,  to  celebrate  the  occasion.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  true  American  fashion,  a  meeting  was 
called,  at  which  speeches  of  a  patriotic  character  were 
made,  songs  sung,  and  a  miniature  flag,  containing  the 
full  number  of  stars  and  stripes,  which  one  of  their 
number  had  concealed  about  his  person,  was  produced, 
and  became  an  object  of  much  interest.  Instead  of 
magnanimously  ignoring  all  this  harmless  enthusiasm, 
the  commander  of  the  prison  marched  in  a  regiment  of 
soldiers  and  violently  dispersed  the  meeting! 

On  the  twenty-seventh  of  July,  six  hundred  pris- 
oners were  counted  out,  as  they  supposed  to  be  added 
to  the  others  under  fire  at  Charleston,  but  really  for 
removal  to  Camp  Davidson,  at  Savannah,  Georgia. 

This  change  was  for  the  better.     In  the  first  place, 


204  SWORD   AND  PEN. 

in  lieu  of  the  Sahara  of  shadeless  sand  and  clay  of  their 
former  prison  grounds,  they  found  at  "Davidson"  a 
number  of  fine  oaks,  beneath  the  shade  of  which  they 
were  permitted  to  recline  in  peace.  In  addition  to  this, 
and  a  matter  of  infinitely  greater  importance,  their 
guards  were  officered  by  gentlemen.  Captain  Glazier 
states  that  the  authorities  here  issued  tents,  cooking 
utensils,  and  decent  rations,  and  adds  this  tribute  to 
'their  generally  manly  conduct  toward  the  prisoners: 
"  The  troops  here  have  seen  service,  and  there  is 
nothing  like  the  battle-field  and  the  suffering  there 
experienced  to  teach  soldiers  humanity  toward  each 
other.  Whenever  attempts  are  made  to  escape,  they  give 
us  to  understand  that  they  would  do  the  same  them- 
selves, under  like  circumstances,  but  are  still  compelled 
10  punish  such  infractions  of  discipline.  They  politely 
ask  our  pardon  for  inspecting  our  quarters,  and  in  a 
manner  as  gentlemanly  as  possible,  remove  our  blankets 
from  the  floor  of  our  tents  in  their  search  for  incipient 
tunnels.  All  this  is  very  gratifying  and  tends  to 
assuage  the  bitter  hatred  which  former  brutality  hag 
engendered.  These  Georgia  boys  will  be  long  remem- 
bered, and  may  look  for  the  utmost  kindness  and  con- 
sideration from  us  if  the  chances  of  war  ever  reverse 
our  situations." 

This  is  a  record  for  Georgia  nobler  far  than  any  she 
ever  gained  upon  the  battle-field,  albeit  her  sons  were 
always  in  the  van.  All  honor  to  them  !  Such  victories 
are  well  worth  the  winning. 

But  pleasant  as  their  Georgia  quarters  were  by  com- 
parison with  former  experiences,  the  captives  were 
afflicted  with  the  malade  du  pays — the  home-sickness 
that  tugged  at  their  hearts,  and  bade  them  again  and 


A  PLOT  DISCOVERED  205 

again  risk  death  for  the  chance  of  freedom.  Tunnel 
after  tunnel  was  attempted,  and  one,  constructed  by  a 
select  band  (sworn  to  secrecy),  was  upon  the  eve  of 
completion,  when  a  straggling  cow  blundered  upon 
the  frail  covering  of  turf,  and  became  so  securely 
imbedded  in  the  falling  earth  that  she  could  not  extri- 
cate herself.  Her  bellowing  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  sentinel,  the  plot  was  discovered,  and,  of  course, 
frustrated.  • 

Despite  such  disappointments,  however,  when  the 
time  came,  as  it  soon  did,  for  the  prisoners  to  leave 
Savannah,  they  did  so  with  sentiments  of  gratitude  for 
the  comparatively  humane  treatment  they  had  received 
at  the  hands  of  the  Georgians,  not  unmingled,  how- 
ever, with  apprehensions  concerning  their  future,  for 
it  was  openly  rumored  that  they  were  destined  to  join 
their  former  fellow-prisoners  now  under  fire  of  Gil- 
more's  siege  guns  at  Charleston. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

UNDER    FIRE   AT   CHARLESTON. 

Under  siege. — Charleston  Jail. — The  Stars  and  Stripes. — Federal 
compliments. — Under  the  guns. — Roper  Hospital. — Yellow  Jack. 
— Sisters  of  Charity. — Rebel  Christianity. — A  Byronic  stanza. — 
Charleston  to  Columbia. — "Camp Sorghum." — Nemesis. — Another 
dash  for  liberty. — Murder  of  Lieutenants  Young  and  Parker. — 
Studying  topography. — A  vaticination. — Back  to  reality. 

THE  next  we  see  of  Lieutenant  Glazier  is  in  the  city 
of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  on  the  twelfth  of 
September,  1864.  Coming  Street  on  the  morning  of  that 
day  was  crowded  with  people  of  every  variety  of  call- 
ing, from  the  priest  and  sister  of  charity,  out  on  their 
merciful  errands,  to  the  riff-raff  and  sans-cuhttes  out  on 
no  errand  at  all  but  to  help  the  excitement.  The  city 
was  under  siege. 

At  the  end  of  the  street  a  body  of  six  hundred 
emaciated,  broken-spirited,  ragged  men,  escorted  by  a 
strong  guard,  marched  along,  and  the  busiest  of  the 
pedestrians  paused  to  gaze  upon  them  as  they  passed. 
Coarse  and  scurrilous  was  the  greeting  the  captives 
received  from  the  motley  and  shameless  groups.  A 
few  of  the  more  respectable  citizens,  however,  spoke 
words  of  grace  to  them,  and  some  added  hopeful  pre- 
dictions of  the  final  triumph  of  the  Union  cause.  The 
prisoners  were  hurried  forward  to  the  yard  of  Charleston 
Jail,  where  for  the  first  time  in  many  weary  months 
they  beheld  the  glorious  flag  of  their  country  floating 
in  the  breeze  over  Morris  Island.  Weak  as  they  were 
(206) 


CHARLESTON  JAIL.  207 

the  patriotic  sentiment  was  still  strong  within  them, 
and  they  gave  one  rousing  cheer !  Some,  despite  the 
curses  of  their  guard,  dancing  like  children,  while 
others  wept  tears  of  joy. 

The  jail,  as  Captain  Glazier  describes  it,  was  a  large 
octagonal  building  of  four  stories,  surmounted  by  a 
tower.  In  the  rear  was  a  large  workshop,  in  appear- 
ance like  a  bastile,  where  some  of  the  prisoners  were 
confined.  As  a  lugubrious  accessory  to  his  own  quar- 
ters, he  had  a  remarkably  clear  view  of  a  gallows, 
erected  directly  in  front  of  his  fragment  of  a  tent. 
"  The  ground  floor  of  the  jail  was  occupied  by  ordinary 
criminal  convicts;  the  second  story  by  Confederate 
officers  and  sokliers,  under  punishment  for  military 
offences ;  the  third  by  negro  prisoners,  and  the  fourth 
by  Federal  and  Confederate  deserters,  and  it  is  com- 
plimentary to  the  good  sense  of  the  rebels  that  deserters 
from  either  side  were  treated  by  them  with  equal 
severity."  He  gives  a  sad  account  of  the  terrible 
condition  of  the  negro  soldiers  and  their  officers  who 
were  captured  at  Fort  Wagner,  and  says  the  hospital 
at  this  place  was  "a  lazar-house  of  indescribable 
misery." 

On  the  twenty-second  of  September,  Glazier  makes 
the  following  note  on  the  progress  of  the  siege: 

"Shelling  is  kept  up  vigorously.  From  sixty  to  a 
hundred  huge,  smoking  two-hundred-pounders  convey 
Federal  compliments  daily  to  the  doomed  city." 

It  appears,  however,  that,  for  the  most  part,  the 
destructive  effects  of  this  bombardment  were  confined 
to  what  was  known  as  the  "  burnt  district,"  and  caused 
little  damage  to  the  occupied  portion  of  the  city. 

Seven  days  after  the  above  entry  in  his  journal  hia 


208  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

heart  was  gladdened  by  an  order  for  removal,  with  his 
fellow-prisoner  and  messmate,  Lieutenant  Richardson, 
to  Roper  Hospital ;  a  place  much  more  tolerable  as 
to  its  situation  and  appointments,  though  still  within 
shell-range  of  the  bombarding  force.  Prior  to  the  trans- 
fer, a  written  parole  was  obtained  from  each,  in  which 
they  pledged  themselves,  while  in  their  new  quarters, 
to  make  no  attempt  to  escape. 

Here  our  prisoner  found  opportunity  under  the 
usual  restrictions  for  writing  the  following  letter 
home : 


164.  J 


[Only  one  page  allowed  J 

C.  S.  MILITARY  PRISON, 
CHARLESTON,  SOUTH  CAROLINA, 
ROPER  HOSPITAL,  October  4<A,  1864. 
MY  DEAR  MOTHER: 

For  a  long  lime  you  have  doubtless  waited  with  anxiety  some  in- 
telligence of  your  absent  son,  which  would  tell  you  of  his  health,  and 
his  prospects  of  release  from  the  disagreeable  restraints  of  prison  life  ; 
and  I  am  now  delighted  to  find  this  opportunity  of  writing  to  you. 
Since  my  last  k-tter,  which  was  dated  at  Libby  Prison,  I  have  been 
confined  at  Danville,  Virginia  ;  Macon  and  Savannah,  Georgia ;  and 
at  this  point.  My  health  for  the  most  part  has  been  very  poor, 
which  I  attribute  to  the  inactivity  of  prison  life.  I  have  also 
suffered  much  for  want  of  clothing.  I  have  a  pair  of  shoes  on  to- 
day that  I  bought  more  than  a  year  ago ;  have  run  about  barefoot  for 
days  and  weeks  during  the  past  summer;  many  of  my  comrades  have 
been  compelled  to  do  the  same.  I  do  not  look  for  a  general  exchange 
before  winter,  though  I  hope  and  pray  that  it  may  take  place  to- 
morrow. There  is  now  an  opportunity  for  sending  boxes  to  pris- 
oners. I  should  be  glad  to  receive  one  from  home  if  convenient. 
Please  give  my  love  to  all  the  family  circle.  Remember  me  to 
my  friends,  and  believe  me  ever 

Your  affectionate  son, 

WILLARD. 

The  days  passed  anxiously  with  Glazier,  when  the 
yellow  fever  began  its  inroads  upon  the  prisoners. 


SISTERS  OF  CHARITY.  209 

He  had  now,  at  the  same  moment,  to  face  death  at 
the  hands  of  man,  and  by  the  pestilence — a  condi- 
tion of  things  to  which  the  bravest  spirit  might 
succumb.  One  great  source  of  consolation  was  de- 
rived from  the  visits  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  who 
were  always  found  where  suffering  and  peril  prevailed. 
Writing  of  these  angelic  women,  Captain  Glazier 
says : — "  Confined  as  we  are,  so  far  away  from  every 
home  comfort  and  influence,  and  from  all  that  makes 
life  worth  living,  how  quickly  do  we  notice  the  first 
kind  word,  the  passing  friendly  glance !  Can  any 
prisoner  confined  here  ever  forget  the  'Sisters  of 
Charity  ? '  Ask  the  poor  private  now  suffering  in  the 
loathsome  hospital  so  near  us,  while  burning  with 
fever,  or  racked  with  pain,  if  he  can  forget  the  kind 
look,  the  gracious  word  given  him  by  that  sister. 
Many  are  the  bunches  of  grapes — many  the  sip  of  their 
pure  juice,  that  the  sufferer  gets  from  her  hands. 
They  seem,  they  are  'ministering  angels;'  and  while 
all  around  us  are  our  avowed  enemies,  they  remain 
true  to  every  instinct  of  womanhood.  They  dare  lift 
the  finger  to  help,  they  do  relieve  many  a  sufferer. 
All  through  the  South  our  sick  and  wounded  soldiers 
have  had  reason  to  bless  the  'Sisters  of  Charity.' 
They  have  ministered  to  their  wants  and  performed 
those  kind  womanly  offices  which  are  better  to  the 
sick  than  medicine,  and  are  so  peculiarly  soothing  to 
the  dying.  These  noble  women  have  attended  their 
sick-beds  when  other  Christian  ladies  of  the  South 
looked  on  unpityingly,  and  turned  away  without  even 
tendering  the  cheap  charity  of  a  kind  word.  They 
have  done  what  others  were  too  scornful  and  cruel  to 
do — they  have  done  what  others  did  not  dare  do.  They 
16 


210  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

were,  for  some  inscrutable  reason,  permitted  to  bestow 
their  charities  wherever  charities  were  needed.  Their 
bounties  were  bestowed  indiscriminately  on  Federal 
and  Confederate  sufferers,  and  evidenced  a  broad 
philanthropy  untainted  by  party-feeling  or  religious 
bigotry.  Many  a  poor  soldier  has  followed  them 

from  ward  to  ward  with  tearful  eyes Were 

other  Christian  denominations  in  the  South  as  active 
in  aiding  us  as  the  Catholics  have  been,  I  might  have 
some  faith  in  '  Rebel  Christianity.'  " 

This  is  no  mean  tribute  to  the  beneficent  influences 
of  the  Catholic  church,  albeit  the  pen  of  a  Protestant 
records  it;  but  the  facts  fully  justify  him.  Protestant 
England  had  one — the  Church  of  Rome  has  her  leyiom 
of  Florence  Nightingales.  They  are  found  in  the 
camp,  and  the  hospital,  and  the  prison — wherever  hu- 
man sympathy  can  palliate  human  suffering;  they 
are  to  be  found  where  even  wives  and  mothers  flee 
before  the  dreaded  pestilence,  and  these  ministers  of 
divine  love,  like  light  and  air,  and  the  dews  of  Heaven, 
visit  alike  the  rich  and  poor,  the  sinner  and  the  saint; 
the  only  claim  they  recognize  being  the  claim  of  suffer- 
ing and  misfortune. 

Willard  Glazier  remained  under  the  guns  of  his 
friends  until  the  fifth  of  October,  and  during  his  so- 
journ here  had  various  opportunities  of  forming  an 
acquaintance  with  vagrant  shot  and  shell  that  struck  or 
exploded  near  the  hospital  building,  but  fortunately 
did  no  greater  damage  to  its  inmates  than  create  "a 
scare." 

What  was  much  more  serious  was  the  prevalence  of 
the  deadly  fever,  which  was  of  a  most  malignant  type, 
and  carried  off,  among  its  many  victims,  the  Confed- 


REMOVAL   TO  COLUMBIA.  211 

erate  commander  and  his  adjutant.  The  prisoners 
therefore  were  removed — the  authorities  assigning  as 
their  reason  for  the  step,  the  "  danger  to  which  they 
would  be  exposed  on  account  of  the  fever;"  and 
although,  at  the  time,  it  appeared  an  anomaly  to  the 
prisoners,  "  after  bringing  them  there  to  be  murdered 
by  their  own  guns,  to  remove  them  for  the  purpose  of 
saving  them  from  death  in  another  shape," — yet  it  is 
possible  such  was  the  case.  At  all  events  they  were 
removed,  and  their  "Poet  Laureate" — Lieutenant 
Ogden,  of  Wisconsin — wrote  a  farewell  poem,  contain- 
ing among  others,  the  following  "  Byronic"  stanza: 

"  Thy  Sanctuaries  are  forsaken  now  ; 

Dark  mould  and  moss  ding  to  thy  fretted  towers; 
Deep  rents  and  seams,  where  struggling  lichens  grow, 

And  no  sweet  voice  of  prayer  at  vestal  hour ; 
But  voice  of  screaming  shot  and  bursting  shell, 
Thy  deep  damnation  and  thy  doom  foretell. 
The  '  fire'  has  left  a  pile  of  broken  walls, 
And  .Night-hags  revel  in  thy  ruined  halls !  " 

Who  will  say  that  a  dread  Nemesis  has  not  over- 
taken the  metropolis  of  the  Palmetto  State?  Streets 
covered  with  grass,  once  the  busy  scenes  of  com- 
merce and  industry,  in  this  city  of  secession  which 
was  formerly  the  head  and  front  of  treason  and  rebel- 
lion ! 

Escorted  by  the  Thirty-second  Georgia  Volunteers, 
Glazier  and  his  fifteen  hundred  companions  were 
marched  through  the  principal  streets  of  the  city  to  the 
depot,  where  they  took  the  cars  for  Columbia,  the 
State  capital.  None  will  ever  forget  the  parade  of 
ragged  and  bearded  men  through  King  Street.  But 
the  Georgian  guards,  while  strictly  attentive  to  duty, 


212  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

showed  the  politeness  and  demeanor  of  gentlemen.  He 
says  of  them,  at  this  point  in  the  history  of  his  impris- 
onment, "the  Georgia  troops  seem  to  be  by  far  the 
most  civil  and  gentlemanly  of  all  the  Southern  army. 
They  were  the  most  respectable  in  appearance,  most 
intelligent  and  liberal  in  conversation,  and  to  a  greater 
extent  than  others,  recognized  the  principle  that  a  man 
is  a  man  under  whatever  circumstances  he  may  be 
placed,  and  is  entitled  to  humane  treatment.  They 
very  generally  addressed  the  prisoners  as  'gentle- 
men.'" 

The  same  kind  of  unventilated  and  filthy  cattle-cars 
were  employed  in  their  transportation  as  had  been 
used  in  their  various  previous  removals.  All  suffered 
from  want  of  water,  air  and  space.  The  arrival  of  the 
captives  at  Columbia  took  place  in  the  midst  of  a 
drenching  rain-storm,  and  during  the  entire  night, 
with  scarcely  any  clothing,  no  rations,  and  no  shelter, 
they  were  exposed  to  the  merciless  elements,  while 
not  twenty  yards  off,  in  front  of  their  camping  ground, 
glared  the  muzzles  of  a  park  of  loaded  artillery.  The 
prisoners,  beiug  in  a  starving  condition,  looked  the 
picture  of  despair.  A  discovery  however  was  made  of 
some  bacon  suspended  to  the  rafters  of  the  building 
that  enclosed  then>,  in  one  corner  separated  by  a  par- 
tition. As  the  famished  men  looked  through  the  bars 
of  a  window  and  saw  this  tempting  food,  their  eyes 
watered,  and  their  inventive  faculties  were  aroused. 
Hooks,  strings  and  poles  were  brought  into  requisition, 
and  in  a  short  time  most  of  the  meat,  by  Yankee 
talent,  was  transferred  from  the  rafters  of  the  building 
to  the  stomachs  of  the  prisoners ! 

The  day  following,  they  were  moved  to  a  spot  about 


"CAMP  SORGHUM."  J13 

two  miles  from  the  town,  and  bivouacked  in  an  open 
field,  without  any  shelter  whatever.  Surrounded  by 
the  usual  cordon  of  sentries,  and  menaced  with  the  cus- 
tomary "  dead-line,"  they  were  turned  loose  to  provide 
for  themselves,  neither  axe,  spade,  nor  cooking  utensils 
being  provided  them.  Two  days  after  their  arrival 
some  corn-meal  and  sorghum  were  issued,  the  latter  a 
substitute  for  molasses.  A  great  many  suffered  from 
diarrhoea  and  dysentery  in  consequence,  and  the  place 
from  this  circumstance  acquired  the  sobriquet  of 
"Camp  Sorghum." 

They  had  no  quarters  to  protect  them  from  the  cold 
November  storms,  only  huts  constructed  by  themselves 
of  brush  and  pine  boughs.  The  treatment  at  "  Camp 
Sorghum"  was  so  exceptionally  brutal,  that  almost 
every  dark  night  starving  men  would  run  the  guard 
and  risk  their  lives  to  escape  dying  by  inches.  Some- 
times as  many  as  thirty  or  forty  would  run  in  one 
night.  Generally  some  daring  fellow  would  act  as 
forlorn  hope  and  rush  past  the  sentries,  drawing  their 
fire,  at  the  imminent  risk  of  forfeiting  his  own  life, 
his  comrades  joining  him  before  the  guards  could 
reload  their  rifles.  The  latter  would  then  fire  a  vol- 
ley into  the  camp,  killing  or  wounding  some  of  the 
prisoners.  Lieutenant  Young,  of  the  Fourth  Pennsyl- 
vania Cavalry,  was  thus  shot  dead  whilst  sitting  at 
his  hut,  and  according  to  Captain  Glazier,  "  no  reason 
for  this  atrocity  was  apparent,  and  none  was  assigned 
by  the  guards."  The  poor  young  fellow  had  been  a 
prisoner  twenty-two  months.  About  this  time  the 
guards  accidentally  killed  two  of  their  own  men,  in 
their  reckless  and  savage  shooting,  and  afterwards  ob- 
served moro  care  in  firing  at  the  prisoners. 


214  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Hounds  were  kept  near  the  prison  to  track  escaped 
fugitives.  Lieutenant  Parker,  while  attempting  to  es- 
cape, was  so  much  torn  and  bitten  by  these  dogs  that 
he  died  the  day  after  his  recapture. 

Mingled  with  thoughts  of  home,  and  the  friends 
gathered  around  loved  firesides,  there  had  by  this  time 
arisen  in  young  Glazier's  mind  a  stern  determination 
to  win  his  freedom,  or,  in  the  effort,  lose  his  life. 

As  the  weather  grew  colder,  the  possession  of  wood 
became  a  matter  of  necessity,  and  some  of  the  prisoners 
were  paroled  to  pass  beyond  the  lines,  and  gather  such 
broken  branches  and  pieces  of  bark  in  the  neighboring 
woods  as  they  could  carry  back  into  camp.  Glazier 
availed  himself  of  this  privilege,  and  stored  up  an 
abundance  of  fuel.  But  a  more  important  acquisition 
than  fuel  to  him  was  the  knowledge  he  obtained  of  the 
topography  of  the  surrounding  country.  One  great 
difficulty  he  foresaw  in  getting  away  arose  from  the 
sorry  condition  of  his  shoes,  which  were  nearly  soleless. 
He  succeeded,  however,  in  obtaining  the  rim  of  an  old 
regulation-hat,  and  out  of  this  fashioned  a  serviceable 
pair  of  soles  for  his  worn-out  brogans,  and  thus  re- 
moved one  obstacle  from  his  path. 

We  need  feel  no  surprise  that  he  and  many  of  his 
companions  thought  no  risk  too  great  to  run  for  the 
chance  of  effecting  their  escape.  Their  treatment  by 
this  time  had  become  so  bad  as  to  be  almost  unendur- 
able. For  example,  to  avoid  being  frozen  to  death, 
they  were  compelled  to  run  hround  all  night,  and  only 
when  the  sun  arose  in  the  morning  dare  they  venture 
to  recline  themselves  on  the  ground  to  sleep.  The 
truth  is,  that  our  friend,  in  common  with  many  of  his 
comrades,  had  arrived  at  the  desperate  conclusion  that  no 


LIBERTY  OR  DEATH.  215 

fate,  even  death  by  shooting,  or  by  hounds,  could  be 
worse  than  the  misery  and  suffering  he  was  now  en- 
during. It  was  not  alone  that  they  were  starved  and 
shelterless,  sick  and  unattended,  nearly  naked,  with 
no  hope  of  being  clad  j  it  was  not  alone  that  they  were 
immersed,  day  and  night,  in  filth  and  squalor  like 
hogs,  with  no  prospect  of  relief  to  cheer  them;  but,  in 
addition  to  all  this  suffering  of  their  own,  they  were 
compelled  to  witness  the  sufferings  of  others — to  hear 
their  sighs  and  groans,  and  look  upon  faces  that  hard 
usage  and  despair  had  made  ghastly  and  terrible. 
They  would  greet  in  the  morning  a  man  sick  and 
emaciated  perhaps,  but  still  a  human  being,  erect  and 
in  God's  image,  who,  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day, 
would  disappear  from  among  them,  making  a  desperate 
dash  for  freedom.  The  next  day  a  broken,  nerveless, 
shivering  wretch  would  be  dragged  into  their  midst, 
blood-stained,  faint,  and  with  the  gashes  of  a  blood- 
hound's teeth  covering  his  face  and  throat! 

Thus  it  was  that  existence  became  unbearable. 
Their  own  sufferings  were  hard,  but  to  continue  for 
many  long  months  looking  upon  the  sufferings  of 
others  added  to  their  misery  beyond  endurance. 
Accordingly,  when  Thanksgiving-day  arrived,  and 
the  excitement  created  by  Sherman's  "march  to  the 
sea"  had  reached  its  highest  point,  Glazier  and  a 
fellow-prisoner,  named  Lieutenant  Lemon,  determined 
that  they  would  wait  no  longer  the  slow  process  of 
tunneling,  but  make  a  bold  effort  for  liberty — or  die 
in  the  attempt. 

"  It  was  customary,"  says  the  former,  "  to  extend 
the  guard-line  in  the  morning  for  the  purpose  of 
allowing  prisoners  (as  previously  stated)  to  collect 


216  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

fuel  on  a  piece  of  timbered  land  just  opposite  the  camp, 
and  it  was  our  intention  this  morning  to  take  a  shovel, 
when  permitted  to  pass  to  the  woods,  and  make  'a  hole 
in  the  ground  large  enough  to  receive  our  two  'skele- 
tons,' and  then  enlist  the  services  of  some  friend,  who 
would  cover  us  up  with  brush  and  leaves,  so  that, 
when  the  guard  was  withdrawn,  we  would  be  left 
without  the  camp."  The  plan  looked  feasible,  and,  if 
successful,  it  would  not  be  a  difficult  matter  to  reach 
Augusta,  Georgia,  at  which  point  they  hoped  to  find 
themselves  within  Sherman's  lines.  The  fates,  how- 
ever, decreed  otherwise.  Their  scheme  was  rendered 
abortive  by  the  simple  fact,  that  upon  that  particular 
morning,  the  line  was  not  extended  at  all.  Why  it 
was  not,  is  purely  a  matter  of  conjecture.  Possibly, 
"the  morning  being  unusually  cold  and  raw,"  the 
guard  did  not  care  to  leave  their  own  snug  tents  along 
the  line  of  the  encampment,  with  no  greater  induce- 
ment than  that  of  increasing  the  comfort  of  their 
Yankee  prisoners,  who,  for  that  day,  were  left  without 
any  fires  at  all;  but,  be  this  as  it  may,  the  guard-line 
was  not  extended  as  was  usual,  and  thus  the  plot  of  our 
young  friends  was  frustrated  for  the  time  being.  They 
agreed  to  "watch,  pray  and  act"  at  the  very  first  op- 
portunity that  presented.  It  was  not  long  before  that 
opportunity  came. 

Early  upon  the  day  following  that  of  their  disap- 
pointment, the  conspirators  arranged  that  each  should 
make  a  reconnaissance  of  the  lines,  discover  the  weak 
points  of  the  enemy,  and,  that  being  accomplished, 
rendezvous  at  a  given  spot,  ready  to  act  upon  any 
likely  plan  that  might  suggest  itself  to  them.  Glazier 
had  become  a  tolerably  expert  physiognomist,  and 


CROSSING   THE  DEAD  LINE.  217 

singled  out  an  unsophisticated-looking  giant,  who  was 
patrolling  a  certain  beat,  as  the  best  man  among  the 
line  of  sentries  on  whom  to  practise  an  imposition. 
This  individual  was  evidently  a  good-natured  lout,  not 
long  in  the  service,  and  very  much  resembling  our 
conception  of  "Jonas  Chuzzlewit,"  in  respect  to  his 
having  been  "put  away  and  forgotten  for  half  a  cen- 
tury." It  is  only  necessary  to  add  that  his  owners 
"had  stuck  a  musket  in  his  hand,  and  placed  him  on 
guard."  Yet  there  was  some  pluck  in  him.  He  was 
just  the  sort  of  man  who,  led  by  a  good  officer,  would 
fight  like  a  lion,  but  whose  animal  instincts  had  so 
befogged  his  intellect  that,  if  left  to  his  own  resources, 
he  would  be  as  likely  to  ruin  friend  as  foe. 

When  Glazier  rejoined  his  comrade,  he  described 
this  man,  and  the  friends  agreed  that  they  would 
boldly  cross  the  "  dead-line  "  immediately  in  front 
of  him,  be  ready  to  answer  promptly  his  challenge, 
and,  by  the  audacity  of  their  movement,  attempt 
to  deceive  him  in  regard  to  their  real  character  and 
purpose.  With  such  a  man  as  they  had  to  deal  with, 
this  scheme  was  certain  to  result  in  one  of  two  things : 
he  would  let  them  pass,  or  he  would  kill  them  both; 
therefore,  courage  and  sang-froid  were  matters  of  first 
necessity. 

Accordingly,  with  the  utmost  coolness,  and  laughing 
and  chatting  together,  they  sauntered  up  to  and  upon 
the  fatal  line.  The  sentinel  looked  at  them  in  amaze- 
ment. He  then  brought  his  piece  to  bear  upon  Glazier, 
completely  covering  his  person,  and,  with  the  usual 
order  to  "  Halt ! "  added :  "  Whar  in  hell  are  you 
going,  Yanks?"  As  if  his  dignity  was  seriously 
offended  by  this  demand,  our  hero  answered  this 


218  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

question  by  asking  another:  "Do  you  halt  paroled 
prisoners  here?"  "His  meek  'No,  sir!"  Glazier  re- 
lates, "was  not  yet  lost  in  the  distance  when  I  boldly 
crossed  the  dreaded  line,  adding:  'Then  let  my 
friend  in  the  rear  follow  me;*  and  so  we  passed,  while 
the  sentinel  murmured  'All  right ! '  And  right  it  was, 
for  now  we  were  free,  breathing  the  fresh  air,  uii- 
tainted  by  the  breath  of  hundreds  of  famishing,  dis- 
eased and  dying  men." 

They  could  not  proceed  very  far  without  falling  in 
with  numbers  of  the  paroled  prisoners  and  their 
guards.  This  they  did,  but  their  presence  excited  no 
suspicion  or  comment,  as  they  assumed  to  belong  to 
the  party.  They  applied  themselves  to  gathering 
wood  and  piling  it  apparently  for  transportation,  and 
gradually  crept  on  and  on  until  they  reached  a  point 
beyond  the  vision  of  the  gray-jackets,  when  off  they 
started  at  the  top  of  their  speed ;  and  although  before 
long  they  were  compelled  to  reduce  their  pace,  they 
put  several  miles  behind  them  in  a  space  of  time  that 
at  any  other  period  of  their  lives,  or  under  any  other 
circumstances,  would  have  seemed  impossible.  Pausing 
to  regain  breath,  they  turned,  and  Columbia  was  no 
longer  within  sight.  This,  in  itself,  was  a  relief,  for 
the  place  was  associated  in  their  minds  with  the  in- 
tense misery  they  had  suffered  within  its  boundaries. 

Could  these  men  have  foreseen  the  not  very  distant 
future,  they  would  have  known  that  every  sigh  and 
groan  that  cruelty  had  wrung  from  them  in  that  place 
of  torture  would  be  avenged ;  they  would  have  seen 
loyal  soldiers  swarming  in  its  streets,  their  old  comrades 
in  misery  torn  from  the  grasp  of  their  merciless  jail- 
ers, and  the  soulless  "  Southern  Chivalry  "  thrust  into 


A   GLIMPSE  OF  TEE  FUTURE.  219 

their  place;  they  would  have  seen  red-handed  ven- 
geance doom  that  city  of  blood  to  destruction,  and  the 
glaring  tongues  of  fire  lap  up  the  costly  goods  and 
edifices  of  its  vile  and  relentless  citizens,  and  those  who 
had  no  mercy  for  them  in  their  wretchedness  and 
famine,  now  awe-struck  on  finding  that  the  men  they 
had  so  barbarously  trampled  upon  had  now  the  power 
and  the  will  to  retort  upon  them  with  interest ;  they 
would  have  seen  brothers  in  arms,  who  until  now  had 
been  merciful  to  their  enemies  when  in  their  power, 
suddenly  transformed  into  ravenous  wolves,  fierce  and 
terrible  in  their  righteous  wrath  at  the  treatment  their 
less  fortunate  brothers  had  met  with  in  this  city  of 
blood.  The  Avenger  had  come !  and  not  one  house 
but  would  fall  a  smouldering  heap  of  ruins.  They 
would  have  foreseen  this  city  ablaze  with  burning 
homes  for  its  sins  against  humanity ;  its  men,  so  lately 
drunk  with  pride  and  satiated  with  cruelty  to  their 
countrymen ;  its  women  divested  of  all  womanly  at- 
tributes, and  invested  with  those  of  demons,  now  all 
cowed  and  humbled  in  the  dust !  They  would  have 
seen  one  noted  instance  of  the  interference  of  a  just 
Providence  that  occurred  amid  all  this  dreadful  satur- 
nalia— a  woman,  pale,  but  beautiful  of  feature,  delicate 
of  form,  madly  rushing  to  and  fro  in  front  of  her 
blazing  house,  crying  for  her  child  that  lay  within  it. 
They  would  have  seen  a  poor,  emaciated  prisoner, 
roused  to  exhibit  strength  and  courage  by  the  hope  of 
saving  life,  rush  in  and  drag  the  cradle  and  its  inno- 
cent living  freight  from  the  very  jaws  of  death,  while 
burning  rafters  crashed  and  fell  upon  him  ;  they  would 
have  seen  him  place  the  babe  in  its  mother's  arms,  and 
they  would  have  seen  that  mother  turn  with  streaming 


220  SWORD  AND   9JEN. 

eyes  to  thank  the  saviour  of  her  child,  and  then  start 
back  conscience-smitten,  and  scream  and  fall,  seeing  in 
her  child's  preserver  a  man  who  in  the  prison  had  once 
implored  her  for  a  piece  of  bread  because  he  was 
Carving,  and  she  spat  upon  him  because  he  was  of 
Northern  race  !  !  Could  they  have  seen  the  future  of 
the  coming  months,  they  would  have  seen  all  this  and 
more.  But  no  such  prevision  was  vouchsafed  them. 
Their  thoughts  were  now  of  themselves.  They  felt 
that  the  shade  of  a  deadly  peril  encompassed  them. 
Columbia  and  its  prison  were  hidden  from  their  sight, 
but  still  they  were  so  near  that  at  any  moment  the 
hounds  might  scent  them,  and  if  recaptured,  all  the 
horrors  they  had  undergone  would  be  light  compared 
with  the  fate  they  must  submit  to  in  the  future. 

Fortunately  for  the  purpose  of  our  fugitives,  the  set- 
tlements, whether  towns  or  villages,  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  were  "  few  and  far  between."  The  residences 
of  the  planters  were  also  distant  from  each  other  and 
few  in  number,  and  the  ravines  and  swamps  which 
abound  there,  while  in  many  respects  disagreeable  and 
dangerous  lurking  spots,  were  still  the  safest  refuges 
for  hunted  men.  The  wilder  the  country,  the  better 
it  promised  to  Glazier  and  his  comrade  fleeing  for 
their  lives.  Their  greatest  fear  was  the  dreaded  blood- 
hound. Our  friends  knew  they  could  defeat  most  of  the 
devices  of  human  ingenuity  in  tracking  them,  but  they 
were  apprehensive  that  the  instinct  of  the  brutes,  which 
a  depraved  humanity  had  enlisted  in  its  service,  might 
render  abortive  all  their  plans  and  precautions.  They 
did  their  best,  however,  to  baffle  their  canine  foes,  and 
nightfall  found  them  hurrying  forward  on  the  Lexing- 
ton Court-house  Road. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE   ESCAPE   FROM   COLUMBIA. 

Mysterious  voices. — "  I  reckon  deys  Yankees." — '*  Who  comes 
there?" — The  Lady  of  the  Manor. — A  weird  spectacle. — The 
struggle  through  the  swamp. — A  reflection  on  Southern  swamps 
in  general. — Tired  nature's  sweet  restorer. 

THE  attention  of  the  fugitives  was  suddenly  arrested 
by  the  sound  of  human  voices  in  their  imme- 
diate rear.  It  occurred  to  both  at  once  to  discover  as 
quickly  as  possible  if  the  speakers  were  white  or  black, 
and  they  accordingly  listened  in  the  hope  of  learning 
their  race  by  their  dialect.  This  was  by  no  means 
easy,  the  vernacular  of  the  poorer  class  of  whites  in 
that  section  of  the  country  very  much  resembling  the 
ordinary  language  of  the  negroes.  The  comrades,  there- 
fore, concluded  to  risk  a  halt  until  the  strangers  came 
up.  Glazier  then  saluted  them  with  the  remark  that 
it  was  "a  pleasant  night,"  with  the  view  of  drawing 
them  out  before  committing  himself.  "  Indeed  'tis !" 
was  the  reply.  This  failed  to  convey  the  desired  in- 
formation as  to  the  color  of  the  strangers,  and  they 
thought  it  wiser  to  hurry  forward  than  prolong  the 
conversation  at  some  risk  to  their  safety.  Before  they 
had  advanced  many  steps,  however,  they  were  agree- 
ably surprised  by  hearing  one  of  the  same  party  re- 
mark to  another,  "  I  reckon  deys  Yankees,"  followed 
by  the  response,  "Golly,  I  hope  to  God  dey  is!" 
Glazier  immediately  turned  and  inquired,  "  Do  you 
17  (221) 


222  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

know  who  I  am?"  "I  reckon  I  dunno  yer,  massa,"  was 
the  reply.  "Have  you  ever  seen  a  Yankee?"  asked 
Glazier.  "Lord  bress  yer,  marser,  I've  seen  a  right 
smart  heap  ov  um  down  at  Clumby."  "Well,"  said 
Glazier,  "do  we  look  like  them?"  "  How'n  de  debbil 
can  I  tell  dat  in  de  dark,  marser?"  answered  the' now 
unmistakable  negro, "  but  I  spec'  yer  talk  jest  like'  em." 
"  We  are  Yankees,"  responded  Glazier,  "and  have  just 
escaped  from  Columbia.  My  good  fellow,  can't  you  do 
something  for  us?"  "Ob  course!"  said  our  colored 
friend,  promptly.  "I'll  do  all  I  can  for  you,  marster. 
I  no  nigga  if  I  didn't  'sist  de  Yankees." 

The  fugitives  had  heard  so  much  from  their  fellow- 
prisoners  of  the  sympathy  exhibited  by  the  colored 
people  of  the  South  for  Federal  soldiers,  that  they 
hesitated  not  for  a  moment  to  place  the  fullest  confi- 
dence in  these  humble  friends.  They  thereupon  ex- 
plained their  precise  situation,  and  told  them  the  story 
of  their  recent  escape.  They  also  learned  from  the 
negroes  that  they  were  returning  to  their  masters, 
having  come  from  Columbia,  where  they  had  been 
working  upon  a  new  prison  stockade,  now  abandoned 
on  account  of  the  expected  approach  of  General 
Sherman. 

The  name  of  their  "Master"  was  Steadman,  and, 
slave-fashion,  one  of  the  men  was  named  "  Ben 
Steadraan."  They  were  directing  their  steps  to  Mr. 
Steadman's  plantation  on  the  Augusta  Road,  and  the 
fugitives  therefore  decided  to  keep  in  their  company 
and  use  them  as  guides.  In  the  nature  of  things, 
unless  guided  by  some  one  accustomed  to  traveling  in 
a  country  so  bare  of  landmarks,  they  would  lose  ground 
continually,  even  if  they  ever  reached  their  destination. 


WHO  GOES  THERE f  223 

One  of  the  negroes  with  that  shrewdness  engendered 
by  slavery,  in  which  cunning  is  the  only  protection 
against  injury ;  and  strength  and  courage  count  for 
nothing ;  suggested  that  so  large  a  party  would  attract 
attention,  and  the  safety  of  the  two  officers  might  be 
endangered.  It  was  therefore  finally  determined  that 
Ben  should  act  as  guide,  and  the  other  darkies  take  a 
different  route  home.  Another  advantage  to  be  derived 
from  dividing  the  party  was  that  in  the  event  of  the 
fugitives  being  pursued,  the  double  trail  would 
mystify  the  hounds.  Ere  long  Ben  reached  a 
bridle-path,  which  plunged  into  the  wood,  and  as  it 
offered  superior  advantages  on  account  of  its  narrow- 
ness and  privacy,  and  from  the  fact  of  its  leading  to 
the  plantation  of  a  well-known  planter  and  therefore 
less  likely  to  be  suspected  of  being  the  road  taken  by 
escaped  prisoners,  the  little  party  concluded  that  this 
was  their  safest  route.  They  therefore  hurried  forward 
upon  their  way,  Ben  preceding  them  in  the  double 
capacity  of  guide  and  scout.  A  few  miles  from  its 
commencement  this  path  led  to  a  blind  road,  which  Ben 
informed  them  was  seldom  traveled  by  any  in  the 
night-time  but  men  of  his  own  race,  so  they  turned  into 
it,  and  had  become  quite  joyful  and  careless,  when  sud- 
denly the  challenge,  "Who  goes  there?"  rang  out  in 
the  stillness,  and  the  next  moment  Ben  was  halted  by 
the  sentry  of  a  Confederate  picket  consisting  of  eight 
men,  who  had  bivouacked  just  off  the  road.  Ben 
boldly  advanced,  and  our  two  friends,  it  must  be 
admitted,  with  more  discretion  than  valor,  started  off 
like  lightning,  their  "guide"  meanwhile  amusing  the 
guard  with  a  description  of  how  "  Dem  two  oder  dam 
niggas  got  skeered,  kase  dey  thought  Mars  Sentinel 
must  be  a  dam  Yank ! " 


224  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

No  harm  could  come  to  Ben,  as  he  was  in  a  condition 
to  prove  that  two  other  negroes  had  left  Columbia  with 
him,  and  the  fugitives  therefore  feeling  that  he  was 
safe,  concealed  themselves  among  the  brush  and 
awaited  events.  Ben  shortly  passed  their  place  of  hid- 
ing, in  custody,  en  route  to  the  Reserve,  and  our  friends 
were  not  a  little  amused,  despite  their  danger,  to  hear 
Ben's  vigorous  denunciation  of  "dem  two  cowardly 
niggas,"  who  had  taken  to  their  heels ! 

A  few  moments  only  elapsed  before  they  were  made 
aware,  by  certain  unmistakable  tokens,  that  they  were  in 
dangerous  proximity  to  the  Confederate  encampment, 
and  although  nearly  famished,  for  they  had  eaten  noth- 
ing since  morning,  it  was  deemed  safest  to  lie  perdu  ;  so, 
thanking  the  good  providence  which  had  sped  them 
thus  far  on  their  journey,  they  lay  down  and  slept. 

The  enemy's  camp,  which  upon  closer  inspection, 
turned  out  to  be  simply  the  resting-place  of  a  local 
patrol,  unconnected  with  any  regular  command,  broke 
up  early  in  the  morning,  and  Glazier  and  his  companion 
once  more  had  a  clear  road.  Although  hungry  from 
long  fasting,  they  ran  swiftly  over  the  swampy  ground, 
and  felt  so  elated  to  find  themselves  again  in  a  state  of 
freedom,  that  they  laughed  and  joked  like  boys 
released  from  school,  and  pushed  on  until  the  verge  of 
an  extensive  morass  was  reached  and  passed,  and  they 
found  themselves  in  a  section  of  country  well  wooded 
and  watered,  the  alternate  hills  and  vales  presenting  a 
pleasing  variety  to  the  eye. 

There  was  here  also  a  public  road,  but  it  would  have 
been  dangerous  to  travel  thereon,  and  they  therefore 
strode  on  beneath  the  trees  and  umbrageous  under- 
growth of  the  wood.  Having  had  no  breakfast, 


THE  PUESUIT  OF  KNOWLEDGE  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES- 


GROPING  THEIR  WAY.  225 

"blueberries"  were  not  precisely  the  diet  they  would 
have  selected  for  dinner,  but  as  necessitas  non  habet 
leges,  they  quietly  munched  their  berries,  and  we  may 
hope  felt  grateful  that  matters  were  no  worse.  After 
a  while  they  made  a  sudden  detour,  crossing  the  high- 
road, and  by  so  doing,  again  broke  the  trail.  Next 
they  came  to  a  clearing,  but  the  sight  of  a  planter 
leaning  against  a  fence,  soon  sent  them  back  to  the 
friendly  shelter,  of  the  wood.  Late  in  the  afternoon 
they  came  to  a  large  plantation  on  the  border  of 
which  was  a  copse,  in  which  they  lay  down  and 
watched  for  the  opportunity  of  communicating  with 
some  of  the  house  slaves.  At  the  expiration  of  about  an 
hour,  a  lady,  probably  the  mistress  of  the  estate,  passed 
within  a  few  yards  of  them,  accompanied  by  a  troupe 
of  merry  children.  They  however  went  on  their  way, 
utterly  unconscious  of  the  close  proximity  of  two  terri- 
ble Yankees ! 

Here  our  fugitives  remained  quietly  concealed  until 
night,  and  then  cautiously  crept  away.  They  pro- 
ceeded onward  until  they  found  themselves  near  a 
junction  of  cross-roads.  Arrived  at  this  junction, 
matters  looked  serious.  Unlike  mariners,  they  had  no 
compass ;  unlike  Indians,  they  were  inexpert  at  discern- 
ing a  trail ;  and  what  was  more  appalling,  they  dis- 
tinctly saw  reared  up  against  the  moonlit  sky — a 
gallows  !  Our  two  friends  approached  this  object  very 
cautiously.  It  was  not  an  unusual  thing  to  hang  spies, 
and  not  unfrequently  those  mistaken  for  spies,  but  to 
hang  them  on  a  regularly  constructed  gibbet  was  not 
usual;  and  the.efore  while  Lemon  insisted  that  the 
black  and  skeleton-like  object  that  loomed  against  the 
horizon  was  a  gallows,  he  still  entertained  some  doubt 


226  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

upon  the  subject,  and  determined  to  satisfy  himself  by 
a  closer  inspection. 

The  weird  object  before  them  proved  to  be  an  inno- 
cent guide-board — the  article  of  all  others  they  most 
needed  at  that  moment.  Like  the  celebrated  laws  of 
Nero,  however,  the  directions  were  posted  very  high, 
but  Lemon  being  tall,  our  hero  mounted  on  his  shoul- 
ders and  by  the  light  of  the  moon  deciphered  the 
inscription.  They  had  now  no  difficulty  in  choosing 
their  way.  On  they  pushed  therefore ;  and  during  the 
black  darkness  of  the  night,  crept  through  the  tangled 
underwood,  and  over  swamps  where  loathsome,  crawl- 
ing things  that  shun  by  day  the  presence  of  man,  now 
seemed  to  seek  his  acquaintance.  How  mysterious  are 
these  dense  untrodden  forests  of  the  South !  The  very 
air  one  breathes  is  living.  Throughout  the  day  a 
million  chirping,  whirring,  twittering  sounds,  salute 
the  ear.  The  short  grass  beneath  the  forest  trees 
moves,  writhes,  and  creeps  with  microscopic  life,  until 
the  brain  grows  dizzy  at  the  sight.  At  night  it  is  no 
less  marvellous  to  hear  the  myriad  denizens  of  the 
swamps  and  woods ;  and  terrible  when  your  tread  on 
some  soft,  velvety  substance  reveals  a  sleeping  snake, 
who,  at  the  same  moment,  attacks  you  with  his  poison- 
ous fang,  mayhap,  fatally. 

It  is  a  singular,  but  well-accredited  fact,  that  these 
great  Southern  swamps  have  been  yearly  deteriorating, 
while  the  surrounding  country  has  been  growing  in 
civilization.  Old  writers  tell  us  that  the  reptile  life 
now  infesting  them  in  such  rank  luxuriance  had 
scarcely  any  existence  one  hundred  years  ago.  Colonel 
Byrd  writes  of  the  "Dismal  Swamp:"  "Since  the 
surveyors  have  entered  the  Dismal  Swamp  they  have 


DREAMS  OF  EOMK  227 

seen  no  living  creature ;  neither  bird,  beast,  insect  nor 
reptile,  came  to  view.  Not  even  a  turkey-buzzard 
will  venture  to  fly  over  it,  no  more  than  the  Italian 
vulture  will  venture  to  fly  over  the  filthy  lake  of 
Avernus ;  or  the  birds  of  the  Holy  Land  over  the  Salt 
Sea  where  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  once  stood."  And 
yet,  in  the  present  day,  insect  and  reptile  life  swarms 
there  in  every  form  through  all  the  hours  of  the  day 
and  night! 

Our  fugitive  friends,  however,  felt  little  inclination 
to  philosophize  upon  this  subject.  The  hope  of  com- 
ing liberty  strengthened  their  limbs,  and  they  bent  all 
their  energy  to  the  task  of  moving  forward  ;  walking, 
running,  creeping,  until  the  dawn  of  day  approached, 
when  weary  and  footsore  they  sought  some  secure  spot 
and  lay  down  and  slept — perchance  to  dream  of 
"  Home,  sweet  Home " — perchance  of  "  Camp  Sor- 
ghum," and  its  "chivalric"  guards — perchance  of  the 
dreadful  blood-hounds  whose  fatal  scent  might  even 
then  be  on  their  trail ! 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

LOYALTY  OF  THE   NEGROES. 

Startled  by  honnds. — An  unpleasant  predicament. — A  Christian 
gentlewoman. — Appeal  to  Mrs.  Colonel  Taylor. — "  She  did  all  she 
could." — A  meal  fit  for  the  gods. — Aunt  Katy. — "  Lor'  bress  ye, 
marsters ! " — Uncle  Zeb's  prayer. — Hoe-cake  and  pinders. — Wood- 
craft versus  astronomy. — Canine  foes. — Characteristics  of  the  slave. 
— Meeting  escaped  prisoners. — Danger. — Retreat  and  conceal- 
ment. 

IT  is  the  morning  of  November  twenty-eighth,  1864. 
The  sun  has  just  risen  above  the  eastern  hills,  and 
his  slanting  beams  fall  upon  the  goodly  heritage  -of 
Colonel  Alexander  Taylor,  "  C.  S.  A."  There  are,  as 
yet,  none  of  the  usual  features  here  of  a  war-stricken 
country ;  everything  around  is  rich  and  substantial. 
The  residence  is  a  stately  mansion  in  the  Elizabethan 
style,  and  the  lady  who,  accompanied  by  two  sweet 
children,  walks  the  broad  piazza,  is  evidently  a  refined 
gentlewoman.  The  colonel  himself,  like  a  gallant  (but 
mistaken)  knight,  has  "gone  to  the  wars." 

She  marvels  what  makes  "  Rupert,"  a  noble  hound, 
that  but  a  moment  ago  stretched  himself  at  full  length 
across  the  hallway,  rise  and  bound  over  the  lawn, 
barking  loudly  and  fiercely  as  he  runs.  She  calls 
him — at  first  gently,  and  then  peremptorily,  until  the 
old  hound  with  evident  reluctance  obeys  the  summons, 
and  crouches  at  her  feet.  She  then  directs  a  negro, 
whose  tokens  of  age  and  long  service  are  as  pronounced 
as  those  of  his  canine  rival,  to  find  out  what  there  is 
(228) 


ULYSSES  AND  CALYPSO.  229 

in  the  clump  of  trees  beyond  the  north  hedge,  to  excite 
"Rupert's"  anger.  The  venerable  negro,  with  the 
deliberateuess  of  his  race,  proceeds  in  the  direction 
indicated,  but  is  saved  the  necessity  of  much  exertion, 
by  the  startling  appearance  of  a  young  soldier  in  a 
motley  uniform  of  gray  and  blue — his  coat  of  one 
color — his  nether  garments  of  another !  He  advances 
boldly  toward  the  house,  and  the  lady  scrutinizes  the 
intruder.  The  result  of  her  examination  shows  her 
visitor  to  be  a  slight,  but  sinewy  young  man,  with  a 
frank  and  honest  expression,  and  seemingly  not  more 
than  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  motley  stranger  drew 
near,  and  bowing  gracefully  saluted  her  with,  "  Good- 
morning,  madam." 

The  lady  at  ouce  returned  the  salutation  with  a 
genial  smile,  that  sent  a  thrill  of  pleasure  and  confi- 
dence to  his  heart.  Without  further  ceremony  he 
thereupon  frankly  and  fearlessly  informed  Mrs.  Taylor 
that  he  and  his  companion  were  escaped  Union  pri- 
soners ;  that  they  were  in  a  condition  of  starvation ; 
and  appealed  respectfully  but  most  urgently  to  her  as 
a  woman,  for  humanity's  sake,  to  assist  them  in  their 
sore  need  by  giving  them  food.  She  at  first  hesitated, 
startled  by  such  a  request  from  such  a  source.  Her 
husband,  she  said,  was  an  officer  in  the  Confederate 
service,  and  if  it  became  known  that  she  had  assisted 
those  whom  his  government  counted  enemies,  it  would 
possibly  bring  reproach  upon  him.  Our  young  hero 
(for  he  it  was)  then  addressed  her  somewhat  after  the 
fashion  of  the  unfortunate  Ulysses  in  his  appeal  to  the 
goddess  Calypso;  recounted  his  misfortunes  briefly, 
touched  on  the  terrible  fate  that  awaited  him  and  his 
companion,  should  they  be  recaptured,  and  all  doubt- 


230  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

less  in  such  moving  terms  that,  like  Desdemona,  the 
lady  must  have  thought,  if  she  did  not  exclaim : 

"  'Twos  pitiful — 'twas  wondrous  pitiful !  " 

This  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  she  scarcely 
awaited  the  end  of  his  story,  before  assuring  him  that 
"  she  would  do  all  she  could,"  following  up  that  as- 
surance in  a  few  moments  by  offering  the  manly  and 
polite  youth  before  her  an  abundant  supply  of  fresh 
and  excellent  food;  which,  she  took  the  precaution  of 
adding,  was  for  himself  and  his  comrade,  fearing  pos- 
sibly, from  Glazier's  famished  look,  he  might  consume 
it  all  himself!  She  further  assured  her  visitor  that 
she  would  keep  the  secret  of  his  having  been  there ; 
while  he,  in  return,  protested  that  should  the  varying 
fortunes  of  war  give  him  the  opportunity  of  serving 
her  husband,  he  would  do  so  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 
With  his  haversack  amply  replenished,  an  appetite  like 
a  wolf,  faith  in  the  goodness  of  God  strengthened,  and 
belief  in  the  perfection  of  some,  at  least,  of  the  fairest 
portion  of  creation  greatly  confirmed  by  this  interview, 
he  rejoined  Lieutenant  Lemon,  and  the  comrades  pro- 
ceeded forthwith  to  the  meal  that  was  enjoyed  with 
a  rest  known  only  to  the  starving.  Before  reclining 
himself  under  the  glittering  stars,  Glazier  made  this 
entry  in  his  diary :  "  Oh !  ye  who  sleep  on  beds  of 
down,  in  your  curtained  chambers,  and  rise  at  your 
leisure  to  feast  upon  the  good  things  provided  .  .  . 
you  never  knew  the  luxury  of  a  night  of  rest,  nor 
the  sweets  of  a  meal  seasoned  by  hunger,  and  the 
grateful  remembrance  that  it  was  provided  by  woman's 
kindly  heart,  which,  wherever  it  may  beat,  sooner  or 
later  responds  to  the  tale  of  misfortune." 


UNCLE  ZEE'S  PRAYER.  231 

After  a  sleep  so  profound  as  to  extend  several  hours 
beyond  the  time  they  had  agreed  upon  as  best  adapted 
for  the  resumption  of  their  journey,  they  found  them- 
selves much  refreshed  and  strengthened,  so  much  so 
that  by  sunrise  they  had  reached  a  small  stream  known 
as  Black  Creek,  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  North 
Edisto  River.  Here,  in  crossing  a  bridge,  they  very 
opportunely  encountered  a  colored  laborer,  who  was  on 
his  way  to  work,  and  who  cheerfully  turned  aside  to 
guide  them  to  a  hut,  where  he  assured  them  they  could 
remain  in  safety  throughout  the  day.  The  proprietor 
of  this  refuge  for  hunted  wayfarers  was  a  certain 
"Aunt  Katy" — an  aged  negress,  whose  heart  and  hut, 
and  such  fare  as  her  scanty  larder  contained,  were 
always  at  the  disposal  of  the  distressed.  Hearing  that 
the  strangers  were  Union  soldiers  who  had  escaped 
from  Columbia,  she  approached  them  with  the  follow- 
ing salutation  :  "Gor  A'mighty  bressyer,  marsters;  dis 
is  deyeah  ob  jubilee,  shua,  when  de  Yankees  come  to 
Aunt  Katy's.  Come  in,  marsters,  come  in ! " 

Accordingly  they  entered,  and,  by  some  occult  pro- 
cess, the  fact  of  their  presence  soon  became  known  to 
the  entire  slave  population  of  the  neighborhood,  who 
came  flocking  in  throughout  the  day.  Such  an  im- 
portant occasion  would  have  been  incomplete  without 
a  prayer-meeting,  Aunt  Katy  herself  being  a  pillar  of 
the  Colored  Methodist  Church,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  the  whole  assemblage  were  on  their  knees,  in- 
voking every  imaginable  blessing  upon  the  cause  of 
the  Union  and  its  defenders,  and  every  evil  upon  its 
opponents.  Among  other  things  Captain  Glazier  re- 
cords, as  a  feature  of  this  impromptu  prayer-meeting, 
is  the  petition  of  a  venerable  prototype  of  "Uncle 


232  SWOPD  AND  PEN. 

Tom,"  named  Zebulon,  "  who  appeared  to  be  a  ruling 
spirit  in  the  party."  This  good  man's  enthusiasm 
burst  forth  as  follows: 

"Oh  Lor'  Gor  A'mighty!  We'se  you-ah  chillen  as 
much  as  de  white  folks  am,  and  we  spec  yo  to  heah  us 
widout  delay,  Lor' ;  cause  we  all  is  in  right  smart  ob  a 
hurry.  Dese  yere  gemmen  has  runned  away  from  de 
Seceshers,  and  wants  ter  git  back  to  de  Norf!  Dey 
has  no  time  to  wait!  Ef  it's  'cordin'  to  de  des'nation 
of  great  heben  to  help  'em  et'll  be  'bout  necessary  for 
dat  ar  help  to  come  soon. 

"  De  hounds  and  de  rebels  is  on  dar  track.  Take 
de  smell  out  of  de  dogs'  noses,  O  Lor' !  and  let  'Gyp- 
shun  darkness  come  down  ober  de  eyesights  of  de 
rebels.  Comfoozle  'em,  O  Lor' !  dey  is  cruel,  and 
makes  haste  to  shed  blood.  Dey  has  long  'pressed  de 
black  man,  and  groun'  him  in  de  dust,  and  now  I 
reck'n  dey  'spects  dat  dey  am  agwine  to  serve  de 
Yankees  in  de  same  way. 

"'Sist  dese  gemmen  in  time  ob  trouble,  and  lift  'em 
fru  all  danger  on  to  de  udder  side  ob  Jordan  dry-shod. 

"And  raise  de  radiance  ob  your  face  on  all  de  Yan- 
kees what's  shut  up  in  de  Souf.  Send  some  Moses,  O 
Lor' !  to  guide  'em  frue  de  Red  Sea  ob  'flickshun  into 
de  promised  land. 

"  Send  Mr.  Sherman's  company  sweepin'  down  frue 
dese  yere  parts  to  scare  de  rebels  till  dey  flee  like  de 
Midians,  and  slew  darselves  to  sabe  dar  lives. 

"Let  a  little  de  best  of  heben's  best  judgments  res' 
on  Massa  Lincum,  and  may  de  year  ob  Jubilee  come 
sure. 

"O  Lor'!  bless  de  gin'rals  ob  de  Norf— O  Lor'! 
bless  de  kunuels — O  Lor' !  bless  de  brigerdeers — O 


NEORO  FIDELITY.  233 

Lor' !  bless  de  capt'ins — O  Lor' !  bless  de  Yankees 
right  smart.  O  Lor' !  eberlastin'.  Amen." 

This  very  pertinent  supplication  and  much  more  in 
the  same  vein,  was  listened  to  with  marked  approval 
by  the  audience — a  sonorous  and  prolonged  "Amen  !  " 
in  which  our  friends  heartily  participated,  greeting  the 
conclusion  of  Uncle  Zeb's  prayer.  Our  subject,  in  de- 
scribing the  particulars  of  his  escape,  remarks  that, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  secret  of  their  retreat 
was  known  to  some  thirty  or  forty  of  these  poor  slaves, 
neither  he  nor  his  companion  entertained  the  shadow 
of  a  doubt  that  the  secret  would  be  safe  with  them ; 
and  adds  that,  in  addition  to  their  good  faith,  they 
possessed  a  remarkable  talent  for  concealment. 

The  Stead  man  plantation  was  only  three  miles 
from  Aunt  Katy's  hut,  and  accordingly,  Ben  being 
sent  for,  soon  made  his  appearance,  and  proffered  his 
valuable  services  as  guide.  The  offer  was  thankfully 
accepted  ;  but,  despite  the  preference  of  Glazier  and  his 
companion  for  the  swamp  as  the  safest  place  of  con- 
cealment, Ben  prevailed  upon  them  to  visit  his  cabin, 
where  they  were  hospitably  entertained  by  his  wife  and 
children.  Having  been  duly  inspected  as  curiosities 
"from  de  Norf,"  our  friends  were  pleased  to  hear  Ben 
instruct  his  little  daughter  to  run  up  to  the  house  of 
his  mistress  and  "snatch  a  paper."  She  soon  afterward 
came  running  back  with  the  Augusta  Constitutionalist, 
published  that  morning. 

Having  gathered  from  the  newspaper  a  sufficiently 
intelligible  idea  of  the  relative  position  of  Sherman 
and  his  opponents,  the  fugitives  bade  farewell  to  the 
family,  and  proceeded  upon  their  way,  crossing  the 
river  by  ten  o'clock ;  and  shortly  after — Ben  having 
18 


234  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

parted  from  them — in  consequence  of  the  complicated 
directions  of  numerous  blind-roads,  became  confused, 
and,  instead  of  pushing  forward  beyond  the  South 
Edisto,  as  they  had  planned  to  do,  they  halted  early 
in  the  afternoon  and  "pitched  their  tent"  for  the 
remainder  of  the  day  and  night — said  tent  having  the 
sky  for  its  roof  as  usual. 

Their  camping-ground  upon  this  occasion  was  in  the 
heart  of  a  dense  pine  wood,  where,  notwithstanding  the 
grim  and  spectral  surroundings,  they  slept  soundly 
until  after  midnight,  and  then  arose  refreshed  and 
ready  for  another  day's  march  on  the  road  to  free- 
dom. Hoe-cake  and  pinders  (angli&l,  peanuts)  formed 
their  only  repast,  which  they  found  sufficiently  luxurious 
under  the  circumstances. 

It  now  became  necessary  to  find  their  bearings. 
There  was  no  star  plainly  visible,  and  they  had  not 
yet  learned  to  take  the  moon  as  a  guide.  Moreover, 
the  heavenly  bodies  in  Southern  latitudes  have  so  dif- 
ferent an  appearance  from  those  seen  at  the  North, 
that  they  were  frequently  in  doubt  as  to  the  points  of 
the  compass.  "  I  remember,"  writes  Captain  Glazier, 
"  that  it  caused  me  great  grief  to  find  that  the  North 
Star  was  much  nearer  the  horizon,  and  seemed  to  have 
lost  that  prominence  which  is  given  to  it  in  higher 
latitudes,  where  it  is  a  guide,  standing  far  above  tree- 
top  and  mountain." 

What  the  lofty  stars  failed  to  teach,  however,  they 
learned  from  humbler  signs.  Glazier,  in  his  youth, 
acquired  the  lesson  in  woodcraft,  that  inoss  hangs 
heaviest  upon  the  northern  side  of  tree  trunks;  and 
then  the  streams  in  this  part  of  the  continent,  for  the 
most  part,  flow  towards  the  southeast,  so  that  our 


CROSSING    THE  EDISTOS.  235 

friends  were  not  altogether  without  indications  of  their 
position  with  regard  to  the  points  of  the  compass. 

They  were  greatly  annoyed  by  a  serious  obstacle  to 
their  safe  progress,  which  presented  itself  in  the  shape 
of  a  vast  multitude  of  dogs,  of  all  sizes  and  every 
variety  of  breed.  There  were  dogs  of  high  degree, 
dogs  of  low  degree,  and  mongrel  curs  of  no  degree ; 
and  all  these  animals  were  in  possession  of  one  ambi- 
tion in  common,  namely,  to  nose  out  and  hunt  a 
Yankee ! 

Consequently,  from  the  deep-mouthed  baying  of  the 
blood-hound,  or  the  mastiff,  to  the  sniff  and  snarl  of 
the  rat-terrier,  their  music  was  not  agreeable  to  the 
fugitives,  who  had,  however,  to  contend  with  this 
difficulty,  and  surmount  it. 

Confining  themselves  to  the  pathless  forest,  the  roads 
were  now  frequently  lost  sight  of  for  miles.  Occasion- 
ally, in  the  effort  to  shun  the  high-road,  they  would 
come  suddenly  upon  a  dwelling,  and  the  inevitable 
lank,  yellow  dog  would  pounce  out  upon  them,  and 
add  wings  to  their  feet. 

It  was  always  a  pleasant  interruption  of  their  lonely 
tramp  to  meet  any  negroes.  These  people,  so  patient 
under  oppression,  so  humble  under  correction,  were 
ever  faithful  and  devoted  to  those  whom  they  believed 
to  be  the  friends  of  their  race.  Our  hero,  of  course, 
had  rare  opportunities  of  observing  the  characteristics 
of  this  people.  Simple,  harmless  and  gentle,  crimes 
of  violence  among  them  were  very  rare,  and  the  cruel- 
ties practised  upon  them  seem  rather  to  have  opened 
their  hearts  to  sympathy  than  to  have  hardened  them 
into  vindictiveness. 

With  the  aid  of  many   of  these   devoted   people, 


236  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Glazier  and  his  friend  reached  and  crossed  the  North 
Edisto,  the  latter  a  task  of  some  magnitude.  The 
river,  at  the  point  where  they  reached  it,  is  not  a  single 
stream,  but  a  maze  of  creeks  and  bayous,  all  of  which 
it  was  necessary  to  cross  in  order  to  attain  the  opposite 
bank  of  what  is  known  as  the  South  Edisto  River. 

While  passing  over  a  bridge  that  spanned  one  of  the 
creeks,  Glazier  heard  footsteps  upon  another  bridge  in 
their  rear;  and  so  trained  and  acute  does  the  ear  of 
man  become  when  disciplined  in  such  a  school  of  peril- 
ous experiences,  that  he  knew  at  once  they  had  nothing 
to  fear  from  those  who  followed ;  for,  instead  of  the 
bold,  firm  tread  of  the  man  who  hunts,  it  was  the 
uncertain,  hesitating,  half-halting  step  of  the  hunted. 

"Escaped  prisoners,"  whispered  our  two  friends 
simultaneously,  and  Glazier,  stepping  boldly  forth, 
gave  the  challenge,  "  Who  goes  there ! " 

"  With  a  trembling  start,"  says  our  fugitive  hero, 
"the  foremost  man  replied,  'Friends! ' 

"'Halt,  friends!  and  advance  one,'"  commanded 
Lieutenant  Glazier. 

Very  cautiously,  and  with  the  manner  of  one  ready 
to  turn  at  any  moment  and  dash  into  the  recesses  of 
the  swamp,  one  of  the  strangers  came  forward  to  within 
a  few  feet  of  his  interrogator,  and  craning  his  body 
over,  peered  nervously  into  his  face.  Thereupon  a 
mutual  recognition  as  Federals  was  the  result,  and 
Lemon  discovered  that  one  of  the  .new  comers  had  been 
a  fellow-prisoner  with  himself.  This  made  matters 
pleasant,  and  although  it  was  mutually  agreed  that  it 
would  be  wise  to  separate,  and  take  different  routes,  both 
parties  unconsciously  protracted  the  meeting  until  they 
were  startled  into  caution  by  perceiving  almost  directly 


A  SCARE.  237 

in  front  of  them,  surrounding  a  large  fire,  a  Confed- 
erate encampment.  "It  proved  to  be  a  squad  of  tax- 
gatherers,  going  about  the  country  with  quartermasters' 
wagons,  collecting  supplies." 

Further  progress  was  now  impossible.  The  enemy 
occupied  the  only  practicable  road  in  front,  and  they 
were  flanked  on  both  sides  by  large  ponds  of  water. 
Our  party  thereupon  stealthily  retreated  into  the  woods, 
where  they  finally  concluded  to  make  themselves  con- 
tented for  the  remainder  of  the  night. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

PROGRESS   OF   THE    FUGITIVES. 

Parting  company. — Thirst  and  no  water. — Hoping  for  the  end.— 
The  boy  and  the  chicken. — Conversation  of  ladies  overheard. — The 
fugitives  pursued.— The  sleeping  village. — Captain  Bryant. — The 
alba  sus. — Justifiable  murder,  and  a  delicious  meal. — Darkies 
and  their  prayers. — Man  proposes ;  God  disposes. — An  adventure. 
— A  ruse  de  guerre. — Across  the  Savannah. 

ON  emerging  from  their  place  of  concealment,  the 
following  morning,  the  road  proved  to  be  once 
more  open.  The  tax-collectors  had  departed.  Warned 
by  the  experience  of  the  previous  night  the  newly 
found  friends  reluctantly  parted  company,  Glazier  and 
Lemon  pursuing  a  separate  route  from  the  others. 

Our  friends  had  suffered  much  in  various  ways  since 
they  shook  the  dust  of  Columbia  from  their  feet, 
but  now  a  dire  misfortune  overtook  them  in  the  total 
absence  of  water.  The  waters  of  the  swamps  were 
poisonous,  and  their  longing  desire  and  hope  was  that 
they  might  soon  come  upon  a  spring  or  stream  to  slake 
their  burning  thirst,  which  threatened  to  unfit  them  for 
the  exertion  necessary. 

The  land,  in  the  region  of  country  they  had  now 
entered,  was  waste  and  arid — for  the  most  part  sand, 
a  few  stunted  trees  being  the  sole  vegetation.  These 
trees  had  nothing  pleasant  in  their  appearance,  as  forest 
trees  usually  have.  The  branches  seemed  destitute  of  sap, 
as  the  leaves  were  of  verdure ;  they  had  not  reached 
(238) 


THE  BOY  AND  THE  CHICKEN.  239 

maturity,  and  yet  possessed  none  of  the  lithe  grace  of 
saplings. 

Our  fugitives  were  parched,  fevered,  and  weak 
before  they  emerged  from  this  inhospitable  tract  of 
country,  but  at  length  reached  a  point  where  the  vege- 
tation was  fresher,  and  finally,  to  their  great  joy,  discov- 
ered a  spring.  Here,  to  use  Glazier's  own  words,  they 
realized  "  the  value  of  cold  water  to  a  thirsty  soul." 
"  The  stream  ran  through  a  ravine  nearly  a  hundred 
feet  in  depth,  while  high  up  on  the  banks  were  groves 
of  pines." 

After  their  passage  through  the  "Desert,"  they  were 
in  excellent  condition  to  appreciate  the  wild  and  sol- 
emn grandeur  of  the  spot  they  had  now  reached,  and 
for  a  considerable  time  they  could  not  make  up  their 
minds  to  leave  the  place.  At  length,  however,  they 
resumed  their  journey.  December  second  found  the 
two  friends  still  far  from  their  destination,  and  by  no 
means  out  of  danger.  It  was  one  week  only  since  they 
bade  adieu  to  Columbia,  and  yet  many  weeks  seemed 
to  them  to  have  passed.  Still  they  were  making  con- 
siderable progress,  and  had  by  this  time  reached  a 
swamp  near  Aiken,  South  Carolina. 

Having  journeyed  all  night  since  quitting  the 
secluded  ravine,  they  were  ready  once  more  to  cast 
themselves  upon  the  soft  moss  under  a  venerable  tree, 
near  which  was  a  gurgling  spring.  Here  they  slept 
soundly  until  dawn,  when  a  colored  boy  passing  down  a 
road  which  came  within  their  range  of  vision  attracted 
attention.  The  boy  was  carrying  a  basket,  and  they 
were  suffering  very  seriously  again  from  hunger. 
Lemon  followed,  and  called  to  him:  "Hold  on,  my 
boy ;  I  want  to  see  you ! "  The  lad  muttered  some- 


240  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

thing,  but  the  only  word  they  could  distinguish  was 
"chicken!"  He  then  ran  off  as  fast  as  his  legs  would 
carry  him.  The  lieutenant,  with  great  emphasis, 
endeavored  to  reassure  him,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  He 
ran  as  if  a  legion  of  evil  spirits  was  at  his  heels,  and 
Lemon  returned  to  his  comrade  very  much  disappointed 
and  chagrined.  "  Now  they  are  sure  to  overtake  us," 
said  he,  "we  shall  be  prisoners  again  before  night!" 

"Never  fear,"  was  the  reply  of  his  cooler  com- 
panion ;  "  as  long  as  there  is  a  swamp  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, we'll  lead  them  a  lively  dance." 

So  the  friends  gathered  up  their  belongings,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  put  a  considerable  distance  between 
themselves  and  their  resting-place  of  the  previous  night. 
Finally  they  concealed  themselves  in  a  swamp  about  a 
mile  distant.  A  road  bordered  the  margin  of  their 
sanctuary  so  closely,  that  they  distinctly  overheard  a 
conversation  between  three  ladies  who  passed.  The 
chasing  of  a  negro  boy  by  a  Yankee  was  the  topic  of 
their  discourse. 

This  information  made  our  friends  more  cautious, 
and  it  is  well  they  were  so,  for,  towards  evening, 
several  mounted  men  armed  with  guns  were  seen  by 
them  upon  the  main  road  leading  to  Aiken  ;  their  evi- 
dent purpose  being  to  intercept  the  fugitives,  of  whose 
presence  in  their  neighborhood  the  boy  had  made 
report. 

Forewarned  was  forearmed,  and  our  hero  and  his 
companion  determined  to  give  the  enemy  a  wide  berth. 
Again,  therefore,  plunging  into  the  recesses  of  a 
neighboring  swamp,  they  went  quietly  to  sleep,  and 
slept  until  midnight,  when  Glazier  awoke  to  see 
thousands  of  stars  glittering  through  the  spectral 


A  SLEEPING  VILLAGE.  241 

branches  of  the  pines,  and  away  off  toward  the  western 
horizon,  a  flood  of  silvery  effulgence  from  the  waning 
moon. 

Entranced  by  the  beauty  of  the  scene,  he  awoke  his 
comrade,  and  all  around  being  buried  in  profound 
silence,  they  proceeded  on  their  way.  It  was  not  long 
before  they  found  themselves  upon  the  outskirts  of  the 
village  of  Aiken,  and  no  practicable  path  upon  either 
side  presenting  itself,  but  one  resource  remained,  namely, 
to  steal  cautiously  through,  although  this  involved  the 
imminent  risk  of  discovery.  On,  therefore,  they  walked 
until  they  came  to  the  border  of  the  village.  They 
found  it  dumb  with  sleep.  Not  a  sound  disturbed  the 
silence.  The  very  dogs,  their  usually  sleepless  foes, 
appeared  for  once  to  have  become  wearied  and  gone 
to  rest. 

There  is  something  solemn  about  a  sleeping  town. 
The  solitude  of  the  swamp  and  wood  is  solemn ;  but 
the  ghostly  stillness  of  a  town,  where  all  its  inhabi- 
tants lie  buried  in  sleep,  and  no  sign  or  sound  pro- 
claims the  presence  of  life  in  man  or  beast,  is  of  so 
weird  a  character  as  to  produce  a  sensation  of  awe,  akin 
to  fear.  The  shadows  that  enwrapped  them  as  they 
came  beneath  the  buildings,  and  the  fitful  gleams  of 
moonlight  that  fell  upon  them  when  streets  were  crossed, 
seemed  not  lights  and  shadows  at  all,  but  strange,  in- 
tangible things.  And  when  at  length  they  reached 
the  outer  limit  of  the  village,  and  the  distant  woods  were 
seen  by  the  moon's  rays,  our  travellers  felt  as  if  they 
had  been  wandering  in  a  graveyard,  where  the  tombs 
were  houses,  and  they  wished  they  were  in  the  swamp 
again,  where  such  uncanny  fancies  never  troubled  them. 
When  the  toad  and  lizard,  snakes  and  other  loathsome 


242  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

things,  crawled  around  their  swampy  bed,  they  cared 
nothing;  but  the  dead  silence  of  a  cloudless  night, 
brooding  over  a  swarm  of  their  fellow-beings,  brought 
with  it  a  feeling  they  could  not  account  for  or  under- 
stand ;  and  therefore  it  was  with  a  sense  of  great  relief 
they  found  themselves  at  the  outer  edge  of  the  town. 

Their  satisfaction,  however,  was  somewhat  moderated 
when,  at  a  sudden  turn  of  the  road,  they  abruptly  came 
upon  a  man  and  a  boy,  who  were  picking  their  way 
with  such  velvety  tread  that  the  two  parties  were  face 
to  face  before  either  was  aware  of  the  proximity  of  the 
other.  The  strangers  appeared  to  be  the  more  alarmed, 
for  they  were  just  making  a  secret  and  rapid  detour 
with  the  view  of  debouching  into  a  side  street,  when, 
feeling  sure  that  none  but  fugitives  would  be  so  anxious 
to  escape  an  interview,  Glazier  hailed  them  : 

"Don't  be  uneasy,  boys!  We're  friends!  We're 
Yankees!" 

His  conjecture  proved  correct.  The  strangers  were 
Captain  Bryant,  of  the  Fifth  New  York  Cavalry,  and 
a  friend.  "They  had,"  says  Captain  Glazier,  "a  negro 
guide,  who  was  to  secrete  them  in  a  hut  until  the  next 
night,  when  they  were  to  proceed,  as  we  had  done,  and 
reach  the  line  of  freedom  by  the  nearest  route." 

The  interview  was  brief,  the  parties  differing  as  to 
which  was  the  most  expedient  route,  and  the  discussion 
terminated  by  each  taking  the  one  he  thought  best. 
Glazier  and  his  comrade  made  off  to  a  swamp,  and 
upon  securing  a  safe  resting-place,  were  overjoyed  to 
find  a  venerable  sow  and  her  litter  approaching.  They 
greeted  the  porcine  mother,  says  our  friend,  "other- 
wise than  did  wandering  ^Eneas  the  alba  sus  lying 
under  the  hollow  trees  of  ancient  Italy,"  for,  "  enticing 


"HELLO,  SAMBO  I"  243 

them  with  crumbs  of  hoe-cake,"  they  both  in  unison 
struck  a  juvenile  porker  on  the  head  with  a  heavy  cane, 
and  then  Uncle  Zeb's  mammoth  knife  came  into  re- 
quisition, and  did  good  service.  Over  the  embers  of  a 
fire  kindled  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  they  roasted  the 
little  fellow,  and  made  a  delicious  meal. 

They  had  scarcely  finished  their  unexpected  feast, 
when  again  the  thud  of  an  axe  in  the  distance  smote 
on  their  ears,  and  Glazier  crept  cautiously  out  to  re- 
connoitre. The  wood-cutter  proved  to  be  a  colored  lad, 
and  having  a  vivid  recollection  of  their  scampering 
friend  of  "  chicken  "  fame,  he  hailed  him  in  this  wise  : 
"Hello,  Sambo!" 

This  manner  of  salute  left  the  party  addressed  in 
doubt  as  to  the  colors  under  which  the  young  white 
stranger  served.  Off  went  his  hat,  therefore,  and  he 
stood  grinning  and  waiting  to  hear  more.  Our  hero 
walked  quickly  up  to  him,  and  frankly  explained  the 
situation,  concluding,  as  usual,  with  a  request  for  infor- 
mation and  aid.  Both  were  promptly  tendered,  and 
shortly  after,  the  fugitives  were  concealed  in  a  corn- 
fodder  house.  Here,  in  the  evening,  a  motley  and 
humorous  delegation  of  darkies  waited  upon  them  and 
after  ventilating  their  sage  opinions  upon  the  conduct 
of  the  war,  organized  a  prayer-meeting ;  and,  if  the 
fervor  of  human  prayer  availeth,  they  doubtless  dam- 
aged the  cause  of  Secession  materially  that  evening. 

The  topographical  knowledge  of  these  well-meaning 
friends  appears  to  have  been  at  fault,  fur  had  Glazier 
followed  the  route  they  advised,  instead  of  striking  the 
railroad  running  from  Charleston  to  Augusta,  on  the 
west  side  of  Aiken,  which  would  have  enabled  them, 
by  pursuing  it  to  the  westward,  to  reach  Augusta,  they 


244  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

struck  it  on  the  east  side,  and  consequently  by  mistake 
followed  it  towards  Charleston,  precisely  the  place  to 
which  they  did  not  want  to  go. 

"  How  far  is  it,  my  boy,  by  this  road,  to  Drain- 
side  ?  "  asked  a  mud-splashed  traveler  of  a  shrewd  lad 
by  the  roadside. 

"  If  you  keep  on  the  way  you  are  heading,  and  can 
manage  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  on  horseback,"  re- 
plied the  boy,  "  it  is  23,999  miles.  If  you  turn  your 
horse's  head  and  go  right  back,  it  is  one  mile." 

Our  friends  were  in  a  somewhat  similar  condition. 
Soon,  however,  in  the  darkness,  they  came  to  a  small 
village,  where  a  freight  train  was  in  waiting  for  an 
early  start.  They  tried  to  conceal  themselves  on 
board  this  train,  but  very  fortunately  for  their  safety 
they  could  not  find  a  hiding-place  in  or  under  the  cars, 
and  shortly  afterwards  discovered  that  Charleston  was 
its  destination  and  not  Augusta.  Had  they  boarded 
this  train  they  would  certainly  have  been  recaptured  in 
Charleston  and  sent  back  to  imprisonment.  "A  mer- 
ciful Providence  interposed,"  Glazier  writes.  "Thus 
'  man  proposes,'  often  to  his  own  ruin,  but  '  God  dis- 
poses/ always  to  His  own  glory,  and  the  good  of  his 
creatures." 

A  blood-hound  was  on  their  track  in  the  course  of 
the  night,  the  deep  bayings  being  plainly  audible,  but 
his  scent  being  at  fault,  the  trail  of  the  fugitives  was 
lost,  and  he  shortly  barked  himself  out  of  hearing. 

When  daybreak  came  and  a  passenger  train  filled 
with  rebel  soldiers  and  recruits  swept  past  them,  setting 
up  a  savage  yell  at  sight  of  the  pedestrians,  it  was 
feared  by  the  latter  that  the  train  might  be  stopped 
with  a  view  to  their  capture,  so  they  once  more  concealed 
themselves  in  the  wood. 


RETRACING   THEIR  STEPS.  245 

The  sound  of  heavy  cannonading  reassured  them  as 
to  the  proximity  of  Federal  troops ;  but,  where  was 
Augusta  ?  Accurate  information  on  this  point  was  ab- 
solutely essential  before  further  progress  was  made; 
and  Lemon  was  commissioned  to  obtain  it.  He  was 
so  far  successful  that  he  learned  from  some  negro 
wood-choppers — much  to  the  chagrin  of  both — that 
they  had  been  walking  all  night  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion from  Augusta,  that  is,  on  the  direct  road  to 
Charleston  !  They  also  learned,  what  was  much  more 
cheering,  that  they  could  cross  the  Savannah  River,  at 
a  point  twenty  miles  below  Augusta,  at  Point  Comfort; 
that  Sherman  was  making  straight  for  Savannah,  and 
therefore  their  chances  of  ultimately  falling  in  with 
his  army  were  by  no  means  impaired. 

No  time  was  lost  in  moving  forward  in  the  direction 
indicated,  and  during  the  night  our  hero  met  with  an 
adventure  which  we  cannot  do  better  than  relate  in 
his  own  words ;  he  says :  "  We  came  to  a  fork  in  the 
road,  and  after  debating  some  time  as  to  which  course 
we  should  pursue,  I  leaped  over  the  fence  and  made 
for  a  negro  hut,  while  several  hounds  from  the  planta- 
tion house  followed  hard  on  my  track.  I  managed, 
by  some  tall  running,  to  come  in  a  few  feet  ahead,  and 
bolted  into  the  shanty  without  warning  or  formality, 
slamming  the  door  behind  me  to  keep  out  the  dogs. 
A  great  stupid  negro  was  standing  before  the  fire,  his 
hands  and  face  buried  in  fresh  pork  and  hoe-cake, 
which  he  was  making  poor  work  at  eating.  His  broad, 
fat  countenance  glistened  with  an  unguent  distilled 
partly  from  within  and  partly  from  without.  Turn- 
ing my  eyes  from  the  negro  to  the  untidy  hearth,  they 
were  greeted,  as  were  also  my  olfactories,  with  a  skillet 
of  pork  frying  over  the  c-onK 


246  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

"  Without  troubling  him  to  answer  any  questions,  I 
opened  the  mouth  of  my  haversack  and  poured  into  it 
the  dripping  contents  of  the  skillet.  I  next  observed 
that  the  ashes  on  the  hearth  had  a  suspiciously  fat 
appearance,  and,  taking  the  tongs,  began  raking  among 
them.  My  suspicions  were  verified,  for  two  plump- 
looking  hoe-cakes  came  to  light,  which  were  also 
deposited  in  the  haversack. 

"Looking  around  still  farther  I  saw  what  I  had 
not  observed  before,  Dinah's  black  head,  as  she  peered 
out  from  among  the  bed-clothes,  rolling  two  of  the 
most  astonished  white  eyes  that  ever  asked  the  ques- 
tion, '  What's  you  g'wine  to  do  next?'  Not  seeing 
any  practical  way  in  which  I  could  answer  her  mute 
question,  I  said  to  Sambo,  '  Call  the  dogs  into  the 
house.'  This  he  did  hastily.  I  then  asked,  'Uncle, 
what  road  must  this  rebel  take  for  Tinker  Creek?' 
'  De  right  han'  one,  out  dar',  I  reckon,'  he  answered. 
Again  bidding  him  keep  the  hounds  iu  the  house  till 
morning,  I  rushed  out  to  the  road  and  joined  my  com- 
panion. We  made  lively  tracks  for  about  three  miles, 
after  which  we  took  it  more  leisurely,  stopping  to  rest 
and  refresh  ourselves  at  every  stream  that  crossed  the 
road." 

The  winter  was  by  this  time  fairly  upon  them,  and 
sleeping  in  the  open  air  by  no  means  a  pleasant  expe- 
rience. They  therefore  made  long  marches,  and  by 
the  aid  of  an  occasional  friendly  push  from  their  negro 
allies  at  length  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  Point  Com- 
fort. This  was  on  the  seventh  of  December,  and  the 
twelfth  day  of  their  pilgrimage.  After  being  some- 
what alarmed  by  the  proximity  of  a  pack  of  dogs,  with 
which  some  boys  were  hunting,  they  escaped  discovery, 


CROSSING    THE  SAVANNAH.  247 

and  securing  another  negro  for  a  guide  they  on  the 
same  night  found  themselves  upon  the  banks  of  the 
Savannah  River. 

A  colored  man's  cabin,  as  usual,  sheltered  them  during 
the  day,  and  their  host  and  his  dusky  neighbors  (many 
of  whom  flocked  around  to  see  the  Yankees,  as  was 
their  custom)  proving  to  be  fishermen  well  acquainted 
with  the  river,  our  friends  prevailed  upon  one  of  their 
number  to  undertake  the  task  of  carrying  them  across. 
The  first  difficulty  that  presented  itself  was,  where  to 
find  a  boat;  but  their  host  remembered,  he  said,  a 
place  upon  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Savannah 
where  one  lay,  not  exactly  in  good  sailing  trim  it  is 
true,  for  the  authorities  had  ordered  the  destruction  of 
boats  along  all  the  stream:,  where  escaped  prisoners 
were  likely  to  seek  a  passage,  and  this  craft  had  not 
escaped  their  vigilance  :  but  he  thought,  by  the  liberal 
use  of  pitch  and  cotton,  materials  easily  obtainable  in 
that  neighborhood,  it  could  be  made  sufficiently  water- 
tight to  answer  their  purpose.  Accordingly,  accom- 
panied by  their  friendly  Charon,  with  his  pitch-pot  and 
cotton,  they  reached  the  spot  indicated  and  found  the 
boat. 

It  was  in  a  very  dilapidated  state,  but  "all  night 
long  the  faithful  fellow  worked,  caulking  and  pitch- 
ing," while  the  fugitives  "lay  concealed  in  an  old 
hollow  beech  log." 

It  was  midnight  before  he  had  finished  his  task,  and 
launched  the  boat  into  the  stream.  She  looked  very 
shaky,  but  the  extemporized  shipwright  reassured  them 
by  saying  confidently : 

"She's    ready,    niassa.      I'll    soon    land     you    in 
Georgey." 
19 


248  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

They  were  scarcely,  however,  in  the  boat  before  she 
commenced  to  leak ;  there  was  no  help  for  it,  so  our 
adventurers  betook  themselves  to  bailing  the  water 
out  as  fast  as  it  entered,  and  the  zealous  negro  pulled 
away  with  all  his  might.  They  kept  her  afloat  until 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  wished-for  shore,  and  then, 
seeing  that  if  they  did  not  quit  her  she  would  certainly 
quit  them,  the  two  passengers  leaped  out,  and  managed 
with  some  difficulty  to  ascend  the  beach. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE   PERILS   OF   AN    ESCAPE. 

Alligators. — A  detachment  of  Southern  chivalry. — A  scare. — Re- 
pairs neatly  executed. — Misery  and  despair. — Virtue  its  own 
reward. — Hunger  and  desperation. — Audacity. — A  Confederate 
officer. — "A  good  Union  man." — "  Two  sights  and  a  jambye."— 
A  narrow  escape. 

CAPTAIN  GLAZIER  and  his  companion  were 
\^J  not  insensible  to  the  danger  they  incurred  of 
being  urawn  under  the  water  by  an  alligator;  animals 
they  knew  to  be  numerous  and  voracious  in  that  river, 
and  were  therefore  not  slow  in  quitting  its  banks.  So, 
bidding  a  hearty  good-bye  to  their  humble  companion, 
who  was  already  busy  re-caulking  his  boat  for  the 
home  voyage,  they  once  more  plunged  into  the  recesses 
of  the  swamps,  intending  to  push  forward  as  far  as 
possible  before  the  morning  dawned. 

They  wended  their  way  through  a  Southern  cypress 
swamp.  Some  distance  back  from  the  river  they  could 
perceive  a  large  plantation-house,  with  its  out-buildings 
and  accessories,  protected  by  groups  of  oak  and  beech ; 
but  they  dared  not  approach  it.  Under  the  far-reach- 
ing and  sheltering  cypress  they  pursued  their  way. 

The  cypress  here  attains  considerable  height,  the 
branches  issuing  from  a  trunk  formed  like  a  cone;  but 
occasionally  they  are  to  be  seen  of  very  stunted  growth. 
Around  the  full-sized  tree  are  frequently  to  be  found 
a  whole  family  of  dwarfs,  nature  Laving  arrested  their 

(249) 


250  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

growth  when  from  one  to  ten  feet  high.  These  would 
present  an  unsightly  look,  were  it  not  for  the  mantle 
of  Spanish  moss  that  envelops,  and  gives  them  a 
graceful  and  picturesque  appearance. 

Large  alligators  lay  along  the  bayous,  and  on  every 
prostrate  log,  watching  the  movements  of  Glazier  and 
his  companion.  "They  were,"  he  says,  "apparently 
pleased  at  our  misfortunes,  and  sent  towards  us  loving, 
hungry  glances."  As  soon  as  approached,  these  "  war- 
dens of  the  marshes  "  would  hobble  to  the  edge  of  a 
bayou,  and  allow  themselves  to  fall  in ;  their  eyes 
remaining  above  water  blinking  at  the  invaders,  as  if 
inviting  them  to  follow.  They  were  probably,  as 
Glazier  observes,  "a  detachment  of  Southern  chivalry 
doing  duty  on  their  own  grounds." 

Finally,  emerging  from  the  swamp  they  entered  a 
corn-field,  and  discovered  a  delicious  spring;  and  not 
far  off,  a  friendly  negro.  They  arranged  to  meet  him 
here  at  eight  o'clock,  at  which  hour  he  returned  and 
piloted  them  to  some  of  his  friends  a  short  distance  off. 
They  were  several  times  upon  the  point  of  being  dis- 
covered— once  by  a  planter,  and  again  by  a  number  of 
white  children,  who,  attended  by  their  nurse,  and  a 
pack  of  curs,  approached  within  a  few  feet  of  their 
hiding-place.  Our  friends  gradually  edged  themselves 
towards  a  thicket,  which  was  distant  about  four  miles 
from  Briar  Creek,  the  latter  being  eighteen  miles  from 
Millen — the  junction  of  the  Augusta  branch  and  the 
main  line  of  the  Central  Railway  of  Georgia. 

At  this  thicket,  feeling  very  weary,  our  fugitives 
threw  themselves  on  the  ground,  and  were  soon  asleep. 
Nothing  occurred  to  disturb  their  slumber;  but,  on 
awaking,  their  consternation  was  great  to  find  them- 


NEAR1NG   THE   UNION  LINES.  251 

selves  guarded  by  sentinels !  Four  large  hounds  stood 
looking  down  at  them  with  an  air  of  responsibility  for 
their  safe-keeping;  snuffing  occasionally  at  their  persons 
to  discover,  probably,  if  they  had  the  scent  of  game 
This  indicated  an  alarming  condition  of  things.  Anc 
the  fear  fell  upon  them  that  the  owner  of  the  hounds 
had  discovered  them  while  they  slept,  and  they  were 
again  prisoners.  But  their  alarm  soon  subsided.  No 
human  being  appeared;  and  the  dogs  seemed  to  con- 
sider their  responsibility  at  an  end,  now  that  the  slum- 
berers  were  awake;  and  walking  around  them  in  the 
most  natural  manner,  with  much  show  of  dignity, 
trooped  away  without  even  a  parting  salute,  but  greatly 
to  the  relief  of  our  alarmed  friends.  They  were  soon 
after  confronted  by  another  source  of  affright.  This 
was  the  approach  of  a  large  cavalry  patrol,  which  came 
so  near  their  place  of  concealment,  that  they  were  com- 
pelled to  forego  a  fire,  cold  as  it  was,  and  eat  their 
sweet  potatoes  raw — the  only  rations  left  them.  They 
however  escaped  observation. 

They  knew  nothing  of  the  whereabouts  of  General 
Sherman;  but  certain  unmistakable  indications  satisfied 
them  that  they  were  now  approaching  the  scene  of  mil- 
itary operations.  Bridges  destroyed,  while  others  were 
under  the  guard  of  bodies  of  soldiers ;  large  herds  of 
stock  driven  by  the  planters  themselves  to  the  recesses 
of  the  swamps  and  forests  for  protection  ;  the  hurrying 
across  country  of  men  on  horseback  and  afoot,  and  the 
general  appearance  of  excitement  and  unrest  that  pre- 
vailed around  them,  convinced  Glazier  and  his  compan- 
ion that  the  formidable  Sherman  was  not  very  distant. 

It  was  hard  to  be  deprived  of  the  comfort  of  a  fire 
at  such  an  inclement  season,  for  the  weather  had 


252  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

become  intensely  cold,  and  rain  fell  incessantly.  A 
merciful  Providence,  however,  directed  their  steps 
towards  a  spot  where  an  aged  negro  was  cutting  wood 
and  warming  himself  at  a  fire  by  turns,  and  they  were 
thus  enabled  to  thaw  their  frozen  garments  and  gather 
some  warmth  in  their  numbed  limbs.  With  the  aid  of 
the  old  negro,  they  improvised  a  rude  tent  by  means 
of  their  blankets,  and  on  leaving  for  his  supper,  he 
promised  to  return  in  the  evening  with  some  hoe-cakes. 
This  promise  he  faithfully  fulfilled,  and  remained  to 
cobble  Glazier's  shoes  into  a  condition  of  comparative 
comfort.  During  the  day  the  shoes  had  threatened  to 
part  company  with  their  owner  and  leave  him  barefoot. 

The  aforesaid  shoes  having  been  subjected  to  the 
process  of  repair,  our  hero  at  first  demurred  to  their 
liberal  dimensions,  but  learned,  partly  from  the  cobbler 
and  partly  from  experience,  that  as  the  'possum  skin 
(which  formed  the  uppers)  began  to  dry,  it  acquired 
the  hardness  and  durability  of  Aorn;  and  hence,  extra 
space  became  necessary.  The  shoes  lasted  him  till 
the  end  of  his  adventures,  and  are  still  preserved  as  a 
memento  of  auld  lang  syne. 

The  following  day  was  passed  in  the  swamp,  a 
wretched,  dispiriting,  drizzling  rain,  falling  from  morn 
till  night,  bringing  the  temperature  down  to  zero.  They 
recommenced  their  journey  at  dark  despite  the  weather; 
preferring  to  push  ahead  rather  than  seek  shelter  again, 
with  their  friends,  and  so  delay  their  progress.  Thus  they 
tramped  wearily  along,  until  the  small  town  of  Alex- 
ander was  reached,  and  by  this  time  their  condition  had 
become  so  desperate,  that  they  knocked  at  the  first  cabin 
they  came  to.  A  white  woman,  in  reply  to  their  inquiry, 
as  to  which  was  the  road  to  Millen,  said  "she  did  not 


COLD,    HUNGRY  AND  SHELTERLESS.        253 

know."  And  now,  for  the  first  time  since  their  escape 
from  Columbia,  a  feeling  of  despair  took  possession 
of  them.  They  were  cold,  hungry,  worn  out,  nearly 
naked,  and  shelterless,  and  such  was  their  misery  and 
despair,  that  had  they  not  suddenly  stumbled  upon  a 
large  frame  building  used  by  negro  laborers  on  the 
railroad,  they  would  have  been  recaptured  from  titter 
powerlessness  to  seek  concealment,  or  have  fallen  by  the 
wayside  and  died. 

Here,  however,  they  met  with  a  generous  reception, 
and  obtained  the  information  they  sought.  After 
exchanging  some  kind  words  with  these  humble  people, 
who  heartily  sympathized  with  them,  Glazier  and  his 
comrade  proceeded  on  their  way. 

Everything  went  well  until  they  unexpectedly 
came  to  the  banks  of  a  considerable  stream,  and, 
after  a  careful  search,  failed  to  discover  any  practi- 
cable means  of  crossing  it,  except  by  fording.  The 
fact  of  its  being  fordable  gave  rise  to  an  incident  with 
a  moral,  and  as  the  gallant  captain  relates  the  story  we 
will  quote  his  own  words: 

"Sitting,"  he  writes,  "  on  a  log,  and  ruminating  over 
our  chances,  a  very  selfish  piece  of  strategy  suggested 
itself.  Accordingly,  I  said  to  Lemon,  '  There  is  no  use 
of  both  getting  wet ;  we  can  carry  each  other  over  these 
streams.  If  you  will  carry  me  over  this,  I  will  carry  you 
over  the  next.'  I  said, '  these  streams,'  although  only  one 
was  before  us,  and  the  most  prominent  thought  in  my 
mind  was  that,  in  all  probability,  there  would  be  no  other. 

"  Lemon  somehow  failed  to  see  the  point,  and  con- 
sented. Accordingly,  taking  off  our  shoes,  I  mounted 
on  the  lieutenant's  shoulders,  as  school-boys  sometimes 
carry  each  other,  and  he  staggered  through  the  stream 


254  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

with  me,  doing  no  worse  than  wetting  ray  feet.  This 
worked  well.  I  congratulated  myself,  and  gave  a  gen- 
erous sympathy  to  Lemon  in  his  shiver  ings.  The 
chances  were  ten  to  one,  I  thought,  that  the  carrying 
business  was  at  an  end,  when  suddenly  another  stream, 
wider  than  the  first,  rose  up  in  the  darkness  before  us. 
There  was  no  use  in  wincing,  and  I  stripped  for  the  task. 
The  lieutenant  ascended  to  the  position  he  had  fairly 
earned.  I  plunged  into  the  water.  The  middle  of  the 
stream  was  reached  in  safety,  when,  through  no  fault 
of  mine,  either  the  water  became  too  deep,  or  my  back 
became  too  weak  for  the  burden,  and  the  consequence 
was,  the  worthy  gentleman  was  nearly  as  well  soaked 
as  myself  when  we  reached  the  opposite  shore.  Selfish- 
ness, as  well  as  virtue,  sometimes  brings  its  own 
reward." 

They  crossed  three  other  streams  during  the  night, 
but,  by  mutual  consent,  the  carrying  contract  was  can- 
celed, and  each  did  his  own  wading.  "  Thus,"  adds 
the  captain,  "another  grand  scheme  for  human  eleva- 
tion fell  to  the  ground!  " 

Weary  and  wet  to  the  skin,  they  persevered  in  their 
onward  course,  until  they  reached  another  cypress 
swamp,  and  discovered  a  road  through  it,  which  had 
evidently  been  the  scene  of  a  recently  fought  battle. 
Fences  and  buildings  were  razed  to  the  ground,  while 
fragments  of  military  equipments  were  scattered  about 
profusely — broken  muskets,  spent  cartridges,  and  dead 
cattle;  all  told  the  story  of  a  late  conflict. 

Our  fugitives  had  no  means  of  learning  at  the  time 
any  particulars  of  the  supposed  fight,  but  were  after- 
ward informed  that  less  than  a  week  previous  to  their 
being  on  the  spot,  General  Kilpatrick's  cavalry  and 


HOPE  REVIVES.  255 

the  Seventeenth  Army  Corps  had  swept  like  an 
avalanche  along  that  road. 

The  temperature  by  this  time  had  somewhat  mod- 
erated, and  Glazier  and  his  companion,  thinking  it 
unlikely  the  road  would  be  much  used  for  a  time,  con- 
cluded that  they  might  with  safety  lie  down  and  ob- 
tain some  necessary  rest  and  sleep.  In  their  exhausted 
condition,  they  slept  through  the  day  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  following  night,  arousing  themselves  with 
difficulty  for  the  work  still  before  them. 

Judging  from  the  fact  that  many  of  the  dead  horses 
seen  on  the  road  bore  the  brand  of  the  "United 
States,"  and  from  other  indications,  they  arrived  at  the 
conclusion  that  the  Union  forces  were  not  very  dis- 
tant, and  that  they  themselves  were  now  possibly  in 
the  wake  of  Sherman's  army.  This  being  the  case, 
the  hope  revived  in  their  breasts  of  soon  joining  their 
friends — unless  they  had  the  misfortune  to  be  picked 
up  by  the  enemy's  scouts.  Hence,  having  lost  so  much 
of  the  night,  they  decided  to  travel  this  time  by  day, 
and  at  once  put  their  determination  into  practice. 
Glazier  and  his  friend  soon  discovered,  however,  that 
they  were  not  expedited  in  their  journey  to  any  great 
extent — the  streams  being  greatly  swollen  by  the  recent 
rains,  formed  a  serious  obstacle  to  their  further  pro- 
gress. 

They  also  felt  that  traveling  by  daylight  was  at- 
tended with  much  hazard  to  their  safety.  One  advan- 
tage of  journeying  through  a  part  of  the  country  lately 
traversed  by  an  invading  army,  was  found  in  the  fact 
of  there  being  much  smouldering  fire  along  their  line 
of  march,  and  thus  our  friends  ran  no  risk  of  attracting 
attention  by  approaching  these  fires  at  their  several 


256  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

halting-places.  This  circumstance  afforded  one  element 
of  comfort — warmth.  But  another,  still  more  impor- 
tant, was  lacking,  namely— food. 

They  had  traveled  the  entire  day  without  meeting  a 
single  negro,  and  hence,  their  commissariat  was  non  est, 
and  gaunt  hunger  created  in  them  a  sense  of  despera- 
tion. In  this  state  they  reached,  after  sunset,  a  plan- 
tation, where  no  house  appeared  but  a  number  of 
humble  shanties ;  and,  weary,  starving  and  desperate, 
they  boldly  advanced  to  the  door  of  the  best-looking 
cabin,  and  knocked  for  admission. 

"Who's  thar?"  was  answered  in  a  tone,  common  to 
the  poor  whites  and  blacks  of  that  section,  that  afforded 
no  indication  of  the  color  of  the  speaker.  That,  how- 
ever, was  the  first  thing  to  determine  before  proceeding 
further.  So  our  hero  replied,  interrogatively:  "Are 
you  black  or  white  in  there?  "  "  Thar  aint  no  niggahs 
heah,"  was  the  response,  and  the  indignant  tone  of  its 
delivery  placed  it  beyond  doubt  that  they  had  fallen 
upon  a  family  of  "poor  whites."  Glazier  thereupon 
changed  his  voice  to  that  of  the  "high-toned"  rebel, 
and  asked  why  he  kept  an  officer  of  the  Confederate 
army  waiting  for  admittance.  The  man  reluctantly 
opened  the  door,  and  the  soi-disant  Confederate  de- 
manded in  an  imperious  tone,  "How  long  is  it  since 
our  army  passed  here  ?  " 

"  What  army  ?  "  was  the  cautious  query,  before  an 
answer  was  vouchsafed. 

"  Why  the  rebel  army,  of  course !  " 

The  man  hereupon  stated  that  Wheeler's  cavalry 
had  passed 'by  a  week  before,  following  Sherman's  rear 
guard. 

"  How  far  is  it  to  General  Wheeler's  headquarters?" 
asked  Lieutenant  Glazier. 


A  "BEESWAXER"  257 

"  I  dun'no !  "  growled  the  other  ;  "  but  I  guess  it's  a 
right  smart  distance." 

To  other  questions,  as  to  the  possibility  of  obtaining 
one  or  more  horses  and  mules,  and  even  a  suggestion 
that  something  to  eat  would  not  be  unwelcome,  the 

fellow  protested  that  the  Yankees  had  stripped 

the  country  of  everything,  and  left  them  neither  horses, 
mules,  nor  anything  to  eat.  Through  the  intervention 
of  his  wife,  however,  Glazier  finally  obtained  some 
bread  and  sweet  potatoes ;  and,  delivering  a  lecture  to 
him  upon  the  gross  ingratitude  of  treating  in  such  a 
niggardly  manner  a  soldier  who  had  .left  a  home  of 
opulence  and  comfort,  to  battle  for  his  rights  and 
liberties,  with  much  more  of  a  similar  audacious  char- 
acter, he  left  the  house. 

Time,  however,  was  too  precious  to  be  wasted,  and, 
at  the  conclusion  of  the  meal,  they  hurriedly  resumed 
their  march. 

A  solitary  planter  passed  them,  returning  their  care- 
fully-worded salutation,  and,  evidently  mistaking  them 
for  Confederates,  volunteered  the  information  that 
"our  cavalry" — meaning  Wheeler's,  had  passed  that 
point  last  Tuesday.  He  was  barely  out  of  view,  when 
they  overtook  a  couple  of  negroes  going  to  their  work ; 
and  of  them  Glazier  inquired  the  distance  to  the  nearest 
plantation,  receiving  for  answer,  "Jess  a  mile,  raassa." 
"Are  there  any  white  folks  there?"  asked  our  hero. 
"Narry  one,  massa,"  was  the  reply;  adding,  "Dat  ar 
planter  is  what  dey  call  a  Beeswaxer" — meaning  a 
Bushwacker,  "and  Massa  Sherman  took  dem  all  orf." 
Not  wishing  to  commit  themselves  by  imprudently 
revealing  their  true  character,  Glazier  asked  them  in- 
differently, if  they  had  seen  any  of  Wheeler's  cavalry 


258  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

lately.  To  which  one  of  them  responded,  "  Dar's 
right  smart  of  dem  down  at  Mars'  Brown's,  free  mile 
from  de  swamp,  and  dey's  haziu*  de  country  all 
'round." 

This  intelligence  was  not  encouraging,  but  our 
friends  thought  it  the  wiser  course  to  proceed  at  once 
to  the  plantation  the  negro  had  described.  They  soon 
reached  the  place,  and,  finding  that  the  dwelling  of  the 
owner  was  closed,  they,  without  delay,  advanced  to  the 
nearest  of  the  smaller  tenements,  such  as  were  usually 
occupied  by  slaves. 

Glazier  did  hot  pause  to  knock  at  the  door,  but 
boldly  raised  the  latch  and  entered.  He  expected  to 
see  the  usual  negro  auntie  with  her  brood  of  picka- 
ninnies, or  to  meet  the  friendly  glance  of  one  of  the 
males,  and  therefore  walked  in  very  confidently,  and 
with  a  pleasant  smile.  This,  however,  soon  changed 
to  a  look  of  amazement,  when  he  found  himself  face  to 
face  with  a  Confederate  officer  in  full  uniform.  Quick 
as  lightning,  our  hero  determined  upon  his  course. 

"Ah,  sir!"  he  exclaimed,  with  all  the  coolness  he 
could  assume,  "I  perceive  we  are  in  the  same  service. 
I  can  only  hope  you  have  not  been  so  unfortunate  as 
myself." 

"How  unfortunate  may  you  have  been,  sir?"  the 
vis  a  vis  inquired. 

"Why,  at  the  late  cavalry  fight  at  Waynesboro',  I 
lost  my  horse,  having  him  shot  under  me.  I  have 
not  had  the  good  fortune  to  obtain  another,  and  the 
consequence  is,  that  I  have  been  compelled  to  walk  the 
whole  distance  to  this  point." 

"  I  reckon,  then,  stranger,  our  cases  are  not  alto- 
gether dissimilar,"  the  Confederate  rejoined ;  "  I  had 
my  horse  killed  there,  too,  but  luckily  got  a  mule." 


GLAZIER  PLAYING   REBEL.  259 

In  anticipation  of  an  inquiry  which,  if  addressed  to 
himself,  might  lead  to  unpleasant  complications,  Gla- 
zier no\v  asked  :  "  What  command  he  was  attached 
to?"  "Forty-third  Alabama  Mounted  Infantry," 
said  the  other;  and  then  put  a  similar  question. 
"Third  South  Carolina  Cavalry,"  said  Glazier,  feeling 
that  he  would  be  more  at  home  as  a  trooper  than  an 
infantry  soldier.  To  carry  out  his  assumed  character, 
he  added  some  remarks  regarding  Sherman's  barbari- 
ties, and  was  just  congratulating  himself  upon  the  gul- 
libility of  the  Confederate,  when  his  apprehensions 
were  revived  by  a  remark,  that  it  was  "strange  a  rebel 
officer  should  be  dressed  in  a  Federal  uniform." 

"Not  at  all,  sir,"  was  the  quick  response,  "a  poor 
fellow  must  wear  what  he  can  get  in  times  like  these. 
I,  have  not  had  a  full  equipment  since  I  entered  the 
service,  and  hang  me,  if  I  ever  expect  to  get  one. 
In  the  fight  at  Waynesboro'  we  captured  a  few  Yanks, 
and  I  just  stripped  one  fellow  after  he  died,  and  took 
his  clothes." 

This  explanation  appeared  to  satisfy  the  rebel  officer, 
as  he  remarked,  "  that  was  a  good  idea,  and  I  wish 
I  had  been  as  sensible  myself."  After  inquiry  about 
the  probability  of  obtaining  some  "grub"  from  the 
auntie,  whose  hut  he  supposed  the  place  to  be,  and 
receiving  a  discouraging  reply,  Glazier  was  advised  to 
call  upon  a  Mr.  Brown.  The  property  of  this  loyal 
gentleman  had  been  protected  from  seizure  by  General 
Sherman,  on  account  of  his  having  claimed  to  be  a 
"  good  Union  man,"  and  by  General  Wheeler,  because 
he  was  a  "good  rebel,"  and  his  larder  was  described  to 
be,  in  consequence,  well  stocked.  Our  hero  prepared 
to  depart,  first  earnestly  inquiring  the  road  to  Mr. 
Brown's  residence. 


260  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

"About  two  sights  and  a  jambye,"  said  the  Alabam- 
ian,  which  interpreted,  meant,  twice  as  far  as  they  could 
see,  and  the  width  of  a  swamp. 

Having  obtained  all  the  information  he  desired, 
without  the  remotest  intention  of  availing  himself  of 
the  "good  Union  man's"  hospitality,  Glazier  said 
" good-day,"  and  rejoined  his  friend.  They  made  the 
best  of  their  way  along  a  path,  until  a  turn  carried 
them  out  of  the  rebel  officer's  sight,  then  wheeled  sud- 
denly round,  and  ran  rapidly  for  a  considerable  distance 
in  the  opposite  direction  to  Mr.  Brown's. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

RECAPTURED   BY  A   CONFEDERATE  OUTPOST. 

Fugitive  slaves. — A  rebel  planter.— The  Big  Ebenezer. — A  sound  of 
oars. — A  ruse  de  guerre. — Burial  of  a  dead  soldier. — A  free  ride. — 
Groping  in  the  dark. — "  Who  goes  there ! " — Recaptured. — Nil 
desperaudum. — James  Brooks. — Contraband  of  war. — Confederate 
murders. — In  the  saddle  again. — A  dash  for  freedom. — Again 
captured. — Tried  as  a  spy. 

OUR  hero  had  been  somewhat  impressed  with  the 
subdued  tone  and  manner  of  the  Confederate 
officer  with  whom  he  had  lately  parted.  To  some  ex- 
tent he  manifested  a  discouraged  and  cowed  bearing, 
and  this,  taken  with  some  other  circumstances  in  their 
recent  experience,  led  our  friends  to  hope  that  the  end 
was  not  very  remote. 

After  bidding  adieu  to  the  Confederate,  they  walked 
about  two  miles  before  discovering  a  place  of  conceal- 
ment in  another  swamp.  Here  they  unexpectedly 
came  upon  a  party  of  negroes  sleeping  around  a  large 
fire.  They  proved  to  be  fugitive  slaves,  who  had 
abandoned  their  homes  in  Burke  County,  Georgia,  to 
follow  in  the  rear  of  Sherman's  army.  They  had 
formed  part  of  a  body  of  several  hundred  persons  of 
all  ages  and  both  sexes,  who  had  escaped  and  sought 
refuge  upon  an  island  in  Big  Ebenezer  Creek,  and  had 
been  inhumanly  shelled  out  by  the  Confederates. 
Thence  they  had  scattered  over  the  country  in  small 
bands,  and  the  present  detached  party  were  working 

(261) 


262  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

their  way  back  to  their  masters.  Captain  Glazier 
despatched  one  of  them  with  a  haversack  in  search  of 
some  food  among  the  resident  colored  people,  and  the 
result  was  so  far  satisfactory  that  our  friends  were  put 
in  possession  of  a  good  supply  of  sweet  potatoes. 

After  another  march,  and  while  still  in  the  swamp, 
they  heard  wood-choppers,  and  Lemon  started  to 
reconnoitre.  Guided  by  the  sound  of  the  axe,  he  ap- 
proached a  small  clearing,  and  seeing  a  negro,  as  he  had 
expected,  wielding  the  axe,  walked  forward  to  him,  but 
was  suddenly  startled  by  observing  a  burly  white  man 
sitting  on  a  log,  smoking  and  looking  on.  They  eyed 
each  other  for  a  moment  iu  silence,  when  presently  the 
planter  demanded  in  a  blustering  voice,  "  What  are  you 
doing  here,  in  a  blue  uniform?"  Lemon  was  not  slow 
to  answer  in  a  corresponding  tone,  "I  am  serving  my 
country,  as  every  loyal  man  should  do :  what  have  you 
to  say  about  it?" 

"  I  believe  you're  a  d — d  Yankee,"  said  the  plan- 
ter. "  You're  welcome  to  your  opinion,  old  Blow- 
hard,"  responded  Lemon.  "This  is  a  free  country;  I 
am  a  Yankee — all  but  the  d — d — and  now  what  do 
you  propose  to  do  about  it  ?"  (All  this  in  an  assumed 
tone  of  bluster,  as  the  best  adapted  to  the  situation.) 
"We'll  see!  we'll  see!"  rejoined  the  planter,  and  at  once 
started  in  a  direct  line  for  his  house.  Lemon  lost  no 
time,  but  returned  as  quickly  as  possible  to  his  com- 
rade, and  without  any  deliberation  they  evacuated  the 
enemy's  country  with  as  much  expedition  as  their  tired 
legs  were  capable  of  exerting.  Their  ears  were  soon 
saluted  with  the  music  of  a  pack  of  hounds  let  loose  on 
their  track  by  the  burly  rebel,  and  the  affair  would 
have  had  a  disastrous  ending  if  they  had  not  oppor- 


FLANKING   THE  ENEMY.  263 

tunely  encountered  a  considerable  stream,  and  by 
wading  through  it  for  nearly  a  mile,  succeeded  in 
cutting  off  the  scent  of  the  hounds. 

The  planter  had  raised  a  hue  and  cry  for  miles 
around,  and  our  hunted  friends,  from  their  covert,  saw 
mounted  men  patrolling  the  corduroy  road  through  the 
swamp,  seemingly  under  the  belief  that  the  "Yankees" 
would  be  driven  to  use  this  highway  eventually,  and 
thus  fall  an  easy  prey  into  their  hands.  The  man- 
hunters,  however,  found  themselves  at  fault,  for  our 
hero  had  learned,  in  the  hard  school  of  experience,  to 
anticipate  all  such  contingencies.  He  and  Lemon 
therefore  secreted  themselves  until  late  in  the  night, 
determined  to  rob  them  of  their  game. 

It  was  approaching  midnight,  December  fifteenth, 
when  the  fugitives  crept  cautiously  to  the  margin  of 
the  swamp.  A  large  fire  denoted  the  position  of  the 
planter's  picket.  They  ventured  out  through  the  mud 
and  water  with  the  purpose  of  flanking  the  enemy  on 
their  left — a  hazardous  proceeding,  and  attended  with 
much  suffering  from  the  intense  coldness  of  the  water. 
In  two  hours,  however,  they  had  reached  a  point  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  encampment,  and  fearing  dis- 
covery and  pursuit,  soon  placed  two  or  three  miles  be- 
tween themselves  and  the  foe.  Sometimes  they  were 
made  cognizant  of  the  nearness  of  the  parties  in  search 
of  them,  by  overhearing  their  conversation,  which 
treated  mainly  of  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea,  how  it 
would  affect  the  Confederacy,  and  similar  interesting 
topics. 

Our  friends  passed  the  last  picket  at  the  edge  of 
the  swamp,  but  deeming  it  unwise  to  relax  in  speed 
or  vigilance,  pushed  forward  to  the  banks  of  the 


264  8WORD  AND  PEN. 

"Big  Ebenezer,"   which  advanced   them  three  miles 
further. 

Here,  upon  the  charred  abutment  of  a  burned  bridge, 
Glazier  and  his  friend  paused,  and  with  the  dark  river 
in  their  front,  debated  how  they  were  to  reach  the  other 
side.  The  dawn  was  just  breaking,  and  through  the 
rising  mist  they  could  discern  the  opposite  shore,  but 
no  practicable  mode  of  reaching  it.  They  must  not, 
however,  remain  here  after  daybreak,  and  therefore 
sought  and  found  a  place  of  concealment,  again  in  the 
hateful  swamp,  but  not  far  from  the  river's  bank. 
They  were  soon  enjoying  the  rest  and  sleep  of  the 
weary. 

Lemon  was  startled  from  his  slumber  by  a  sound 
resembling  that  of  oars.  He  awoke  Glazier,  and  both 
listened  intently,  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  meaning 
of  such  a  sound  in  such  a  place.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
noise  ceased,  and  looking  cautiously  from  their  hiding- 
place,  they  observed  two  men  pass  near  them,  having 
the  appearance  of  messengers  or  couriers,  with  des- 
patches, which  they  could  plainly  see  in  their  hands. 
It  at  once  occurred  to  our  hero  and  his  companion  that 
the  boat  in  which  these  men  had  rowed  themselves  up 
the  river,  could  be  made  available  for  crossing  to  its 
opposite  bank.  They  found  it  moored  to  a  tree,  and 
at  once  embarked  and  crossed  the  stream.  To  prevent 
pursuit  they  cast  the  boat  adrift,  and  as  speedily  as 
possible  left  "Big  Ebeuezer"  behind  them. 

At  a  short  distance  from  the  river  side  Lemon  stum- 
bled over  the  dead  body  of  a  soldier,  which,  upon 
examination,  proved  to  be  that  of  a  Federal.  Our 
friends  having  no  means  of  placing  the  body  under- 
ground, concluded  to  bury  it  in  the  river,  and  thus 


A  LEAD  COMRADE.  265 

prevent  to  some  extent  its  desecration  by  dogs  or  other 
carrion-seeking  animals  that  might  find  it  exposed. 
This  was  the  best  they  could  do  under  the  circum- 
stances, and  thus  the  poor  body  found  a  sailor's,  if  not 
a  soldier's  grave. 

They  had  advanced  not  many  paces  again  when  they 
discovered  two  horses  tied  to  a  tree,  possibly  the 
property  of  the  two  couriers  whose  boat  they  had  pre- 
viously utilized.  These  they  looked  upon  as  fair  spoil 
in  an  enemy's  country,  and  with  little  compunction  and 
less  ceremony  mounted  and  started  on  their  way.  A 
few  miles  brought  them  to  the  verge  of  the  wood,  and 
the  day  was  now  breaking.  They  therefore  reluctantly 
dismounted,  turned  their  steeds  adrift  for  fear  of 
detection,  and  trudged  forward  on  foot  once  more. 

Soon  they  had  reason  to  congratulate  themselves  on 
their  prudence  in  dismounting.  Another  quarter  of  a 
mile  brought  within  view  a  Confederate  picket,  but 
they  were  not  themselves  observed.  They  accordingly 
sought  a  hiding-place  among  the  thick  undergrowth, 
and  were  soon  asleep,  remaining  so  until  midnight. 
They  then  turned  the  flank  of  the  picket  and  proceeded 
on  their  journey. 

Long  immunity  from  the  peril  of  recapture  had 
now  inspired  Glazier  and  his  friend  with  hope  and 
full  confidence  in  successfully  attaining  the  end  of 
their  struggles.  The  swamp,  the  river,  the  alligator, 
the  man-hunter,  and  worse  than  all,  the  blood-hound, 
had  been  met  and  successfully  overcome  or  evaded  ;  and 
after  three  long  weeks  of  travel  from  the  execrable  and 
inhuman  people,  who  had  held  them  as  prisoners  of  war, 
and  treated  them  worse  than  dogs,  they  now  found 
themselves  within  twenty  miles  of  Savannah. 


256  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Resting  himself  upon  a  fallen  tree,  clad  in  rags, 
hungry  and  reduced  almost  to  the  proportions  of  a 
skeleton  by  long  fasting,  Glazier  and  his  companion 
were  able  to  congratulate  themselves  upon  their  won- 
derful preservation  thus  far.  All  seemed  to  foreshadow 
their  final  triumph,  and  their  spirits  were  cheered,  not- 
withstanding that  food  had  not  passed  their  lips  for 
the  past  thirty-six  hours,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
grains  of  corn  picked  up  by  the  way.  Probably  within 
the  brief  space  of  twenty-four  hours  they  would  be 
again  free  and  under  the  protection  of  the  glorious 
flag,  in  whose  defence  they  had  fought  and  suffered  so 
much. 

Flushed  with  their  past  success  and  elated  with 
hope  for  the  future  they  recommenced  their  march. 
They  had  no  exact  information  as  to  the  position  of  the 
Federal  army,  and  were  in  fact  groping  their  way  in 
the  dark — figuratively  as  well  as  literally — every  sense 
on  the  alert  to  avoid  the  enemy's  picket  lines. 

On  reaching  Little  Ebenezer  Creek  about  midnight 
they  were  chagrined  to  find  the  bridge  destroyed,  but 
after  reconnoitring  for  a  time,  were  satisfied  that  the 
coast  was  clear  on  the  opposite  side.  Finding  some 
broken  planks  they  constructed  a  raft  and  paddled 
themselves  across  the  stream. 

They  were  now  on  the  Savannah  River  Road,  over 
which  Kilpatrick's  cavalry  and  the  Fourteenth  Army 
Corps  had  passed  but  a  week  before.  Old  camping- 
grounds  were  numerous  along  their  way,  and  each 
was  examined  closely  for  any  bread  or  other  eatables 
they  thought  might  have  been  left  by  the  array. 

They  were  closely  engaged  in  this  search,  when 
"Wno  COMES  THERE?"  was  gruffly  shouted  by  a 
voice  near  them. 


RECAPTURED.  267 

w  Friends,"  promptly  answered  Glazier. 

"Advance  one !  "  commanded  the  picket. 

"  I  advanced  promptly,"  writes  Captain  Glazier,  in 
the  history  of  his  capture  and  imprisonment,  "and 
arriving  near  my  captors  found  them  to  be  mounted 
infantry.  They  were  sitting  upon  their  horses  in  the 
shade  of  some  cypress-trees.  One  asked,  'Who  are 
you?'  to  which  I  replied,  'A  scout  to  General  Hardie, 
and  must  not  be  detained,  as  I  have  important  infor- 
mation for  the  general.' 

"  The  picket  replied,  *  I'm  instructed  to  take  every 
person  to  the  officer  of  the  picket  that  approaches  this 
post  after  dark.' 

" '  I  can't  help  it,  sir.  It  is  not  customary  to  arrest 
scouts,  and  I  must  pass  on.' 

"'You  cannot;  I  must  obey  orders.  I  do  not 
doubt  the  truth  of  your  assertion  ;  but  until  you  have 
seen  the  lieutenant,  you  will  not  be  allowed  to  pass 
this  post.' 

"  Finding  that  I  had  met  a  good  soldier  I  saw  that 
it  was  useless  to  trifle  with  him,  and  tried  to  console 
myself  with  the  thought  that  I  should  be  able  to  dupe 
the  officer;  and  as  we  were  hurried  on  towards  the 
reserve  of  the  picket  my  mind  was  occupied  in  arrang- 
ing a  plan  for  our  defence,  as  spies  to  the  great  rebel 
chief.  Arrived  at  the  reserve  we  found  nearly  all 
asleep,  in  close  proximity  to  a  large  rail-fire,  including 
the  lieutenant. 

"A  little  rough  shaking  soon  roused  him  up,  and, 
rubbing  his  eyes,  he  asked,  'What's  wanted?' 

"I  quickly  answered,  'I'm  surprised,  sir,  that 
scouts  to  our  generals  should  be  arrested  by  your 
picket.' 


268  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

"He  said,  'My  instructions  are  positive,  and  no 
man  can  pass  this  post  without  examination.' 

" '  Very  well,  then,'  I  said,  '  be  good  enough  to 
examine  us  at  once.' 

" '  Have  you  passes  ? ' 

"'No,  sir;  not  at  present.  We  had  papers  when 
we  left  the  general's  headquarters;  but  having  been 
scouting  in  Northern  Georgia,  for  the  past  two  weeks, 
our  papers  are  worn  out  and  lost.' 

"  '  You  have  some  papers  about  you,  I  suppose  ? ' 

"Thinking  that  by  answering  in  the  affirmative, 
and  producing  quickly  an  old  package  of  letters  which 
had  been  received  while  in  Libby  Prison,  that  none  of 
them  would  be  examined,  I  hastily  drew  them  from 
the  side-pocket  of  my  jacket  and  held  them  before  me, 
saying,  'I  hope  here  are  enough,  sir.' 

"  The  lieutenant's  curiosity  led  him  to  take  one 
which  had  been  received  from  Colonel  Clarence  Buel, 
of  Troy,  New  York.  He  held  it  near  the  fire,  and 
noticing  the  date,  turned  his  eyes  towards  me  and 
again  to  the  letter;  the  second  glance  seemed  to  satisfy 
him  that  I  was  not  a  rebel,  and  he  remarked  very 
indignantly,  'Then  you  are  scouting  for  General 
Hardie,  are  you?  I  believe  you  are  a  d — d  Yankee 
spy!  and  if  you  were  to  get  your  deserts  I  should  hang 
you  to  the  first  tree  I  come  to/  Said  I,  ;  Lieutenant, 
do  not  be  too  hasty.  I  can  convince  you  that  J  have 
been  a  prisoner  of  war,  and  if  you  are  a  true  soldier  I 
shall  be  treated  as  such.' 

"Becoming  a  little  more  mild  he  gave  us  to  under- 
stand that  we  should  start  at  ten  o'clock  the  next 
morning  for  Springfield,  the  headquarters  of  General 
Wheeler. 


A   GENEROUS  REBEL.  269 

"After  detailing  a  special  guard  for  the  prisoners, 
and  instructing  them  to  be  on  the  alert,  the  lieutenant 
laid  himself  down  by  the  fire,  leaving  us  to  reflect 
upon  the  hardness  of  fate,  and  the  uncertainties 
attending  an  effort  to  escape  the  clutches  of  a  vigilant 
enemy." 

Glazier  did  not  despair,  but  at  the  first  opportunity 
communicated  to  Lemon  his  determination  to  reach 
the  Federal  lines  at  all  risks ;  he  would  never  return 
to  South  Carolina  a  prisoner ;  the  horrors  of  prison- 
life  and  the  privations  and  sufferings  they  had  already 
endured,  should  never  be  repeated  in  his  case,  but 
rather — welcome  death !  Their  enemies — albeit  fellow- 
countrymen  and  Americans — were  inhuman  and  bar- 
barous, and  before  putting  himself  in  their  hands  again, 
he  would  submit  to  be  hung  by  bushwhackers,  or 
torn  to  pieces  by  blood-hounds.  Their  case  was  now 
desperate,  and  for  his  part  he  would  take  the  first 
chance  that  offered  of  getting  away.  Our  hero  thought 
he  could  count  on  Lemon's  concurrence  and  co-opera- 
tion. The  men  of  the  picket  told  him  they  had  been 
arrested  at  the  outpost;  and  it  was  now  clear  that 
if  the  fugitives  had  been  so  fortunate  as  to  pass 
this  picket,  they  could  have  reached  the  Federal 
lines  in  less  than  an  hour.  Only  a  step  intervened 
between  captivity  and  freedom — the  thought  was  very 
disheartening. 

An  instance  of  exceptional  kindness  on  the  part  of  a 
Confederate  must  not  be  omitted  here.  James  Brooks, 
one  of  the  picket,  came  to  the  prisoners  and  invited 
them  to  partake  of  some  hoe-cake  and  bacon.  He  said 
he  had  been  out  foraging,  and  would  share  his  plunder 
with  them.  Having  been  without  food  for  forty-eight 


270  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

hours,  save  a  few  ears  of  corn,  they  eagerly  embraced 
the  generous  offer.  The  hoe-cake  was  produced  and 
partaken  of  ravenously  and  thankfully.  The  other 
men  of  the  picket  were  disgusted  at  the  liberality  of 
their  comrade,  calling  him  a  "  blue  belly/'  and  a  fool 
to  give  good  bread  to  a  couple  of  d — d  Yanks.  Like 
a  true  man,  however,  he  made  no  reply  to  their  brutal 
taunts,  and  gave  the  captives  a  most  excellent  breakfast. 
Having  finished  their  welcome  meal,  they  asked 
permission  to  bathe  themselves,  under  guard,  in  a  little 
stream  not  many  rods  from  the  reserve,  which  request 
was  granted.  Here  the  prisoners  in  their  desperation 
offered  the  guard  one  hundred  dollars  in  Confederate 
scrip,  which  had  been  given  them  by  their  negro 
friends,  to  assist  them  in  making  their  escape.  The 
guards  seemed  to  distrust  each  other,  and  declined 
the  proposal.  They,  however,  said  they  would  be 
right  glad  to  have  the  money,  but  feared  to  take  it,  as 
they  were  held  responsible  for  the  safe  return  of  the 
prisoners.  The  offer  of  the  bribe  was  reported  to  the 
lieutenant,  who  at  once  ordered  the  delinquents  to  be 
searched,  and  all  the  scrip  found  upon  them  was  con- 
fiscated, as  contraband  of  war,  and  appropriated  to 
rebel  uses,  leaving  our  two  unfortunate  friends  penni- 
less. They  were  further  threatened  with  condign 
punishment  for  offering  to  bribe  the  guard.  One  said 
"  Shoot  them ;  "  another,  "  Let  'em  stretch  hemp  ; " 
several  recommended  that  they  be  taken  to  the  swamp 
and  "  sent  after  Sherman's  raiders," — referring,  proba- 
bly, to  the  manner  in  which  they  had  disposed  of  some 
of  the  Federal  sick,  who  had  been  left  in  the  rear  of 
the  army.  Of  this  incident  Glazier  writes :  "  I  had 
been  told  by  the  negroes  that  fifteen  of  our  sick, 


ESCAPE  AND  PURSUIT.  271 

who  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels  but  a  few  day 
before  our  recapture,  were  taken  to  a  swamp,  where 
their  throats  were  cut,  and  their  bodies  thrown  into  a 
slough  hole.  I  cannot  vouch  for  the  truth  of  this 

o 

statement,  but  it  came  to  me  from  many  whose 
veracity  I  have  no  reason  to  question." 

Let  us  in  the  name  of  humanity  doubt  it! 

At  ten  o'clock  A.  M.  a  mounted  guard,  consisting  of 
a  corporal  and  two  men,  were  detailed  to  march  the 
prisoners  to  the  headquarters  of  General  Wheeler. 
They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  Glazier  assumed  to 
be  footsore,  and  pleaded  his  utter  inability  to  walk  any 
further.  Believing  this,  one  of  the  guards  dismounted 
and  helped  him  into  the  saddle.  Our  hero  was  no 
sooner  mounted  than  he  decided  that,  come  what  would, 
he  would  make  his  escape.  In  a  few  moments  the 
guard  who  was  on  foot  espied  a  black  squirrel  darting 
across  the  road,  and  oblivious  of  his  responsibility, 
gave  chase  to  it,  Glazier  looking  on  and  biding  his 
timec  The  squirrel  soon  ran  up  a  tree,  and  leaped 
from  bough  to  bough  with  its  usual  agility.  Suddenly 
it  halted  on  a  prominent  branch,  seeming  to  bid  de- 
fiance to  its  pursuer.  The  carbine  was  instantly  raised, 
and  discharged.  Without  waiting  to  note  the  result, 
Glazier,  feeling  that  now  was  his  opportunity,  dashed 
off  at  a  gallop,  urging  his  horse  to  the  top  of  his 
speed.  Before  the  squirrel-hunter  could  reload,  he 
was  many  yards  away.  The  corporal  in  charge  fired 
his  revolver,  and  at  each  discharge  of  the  weapon, 
shouted  to  the  fugitive  to  halt!  but  Glazier  gave  no 
heed  to  the  summons,  and  might  have  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  swamps  and  defied  recapture,  if  he  had  not 
unfortunately  galloped  into  a  rebel  camp !  Baffled,  he 


272  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

turned  his  horse,  and  endeavored  to  cross  an  open  field, 
but  the  corporal  continued  to  shout,  "  Halt  that  d — d 
Yankee ! "  when  a  body  of  Texan  Rangers  from 
General  Iverson's  cavalry  division,  some  mounted 
and  some  dismounted,  gave  chase,  hooting  and  yelping, 
and  finally  overtook  and  compelled  him  to  surrender. 

The  guard  whose  horse  Lieutenant  Glazier  had  rid- 
den came  up  and  vented  his  rage  at  the  escapade  in  no 
measured  language.  The  Texans,  however,  enjoyed 
the  fun  of  the  thing,  and  laughed  at,  and  ridiculed  him. 
Said  one,  "You  are  a  d— d  smart  soldier  to  let  a 
blue-belly  get  away  from  you — and  on  your  own 
horse  too!"  Another  joined  in  with,  "Say,  Corporal, 
which  of  them  nags  can  run  fastest?"  Nothing  of 
course  was  said  about  the  squirrels  ! 

On  Lemon  and  his  guard  coming  up  they  resumed 
their  march  to  headquarters — Glazier's  lameness  excit- 
ing no  further  sympathy,  nor  the  offer  of  another 
mount. 

The  escort  with  their  charge  reached  General 
Wheeler's  headquarters  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  re- 
port handed  in  stated  that,  "  the  two  prisoners  had 
been  captured  while  attempting  to  pass  the  out-post, 
under  the  pretence  of  being  scouts  to  General  Hardie." 

Wheeler  ordered  them  at  once  into  his  presence  and 
questioned  them  closely. 

Captain  Glazier  thus  graphically  relates  the  inter- 
view: 

"'Then  you  are  scouting  for  Confederate  generals?' 
said  Wheeler. 

"  I  replied,  '  We  would  have  rejoiced  if  we  could 
have  convinced  your  out-post  that  we  were.' 

" '  None  of  your  impudence,  sir !  Remember  that 
you  are  a  prisoner.' 


BEFORE  GENERAL  WHEELER.      273 

"'Very  true;  but  when  you  ask  questions,  you 
jnust  expect  answers/ 

"  '  What  are  you  doing  with  that  gray  jacket?  ' 

" '  I  wear  it,  sir,  to  protect  myself  from  the  sun  and 
storm/ 

"'Where  did  you  get  it?' 

"'One  of  the  guards  at  Columbia  was  kind  enough 
to  give  it  to  me,  when  he  saw  that  I  was  suffering 
for  the  want  of  clothing  to  cover  my  nakedness.' 

" '  He  could  not  have  been  a  true  rebel,  to  assist  a 
Yankee  in  making  his  escape.' 

" '  He  knew  nothing  of  my  intention  to  escape ;  and 
I  believe  he  was  at  least  a  kind-hearted  man.' 

"'Why  don't  you  wear  the  Federal  uniform ?  Are 
the  Yankees  ashamed  of  it  ? ' 

" '  By  no  means,  sir !  What  few  garments  were 
spared  me  at  the  time  of  my  capture  were  worn  out 
during  a  long  imprisonment,  and  the  clothing  which 
was  sent  on  to  Richmond  by  our  Government  during 
the  winter  of  1863  for  distribution  among  the  pris- 
oners, was,  for  the  most  part,  appropriated  by  your 
authorities.' 

" '  Like  most  of  your  contemptible  Yankee  crew,  I 
believe  you  to  be  a  lying  scoundrel,  and  you  shall  an- 
swer to  the  charge  of  spy.' 

"'Very  well,  sir,  I  am  compelled  to  await  your 
pleasure  ;  but  you  have  heard  nothing  but  the  truth.' 

"'Guard !  take  the  prisoners  to  the  jail,  place  them 
in  a  cell,  and  keep  them  in  close  confinement  until 
further  orders.' " 

The   above    colloquy    between    Wheeler    and    hia 
prisoners  reflects  small  credit  upon  him  as  a  leader  of 
"  Southern  Chivalry." 
21 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

FINAL,  ESCAPE    FROM    CAPTIVITY. 

Jn  jail. — White  f rash. — Yankees. — Off  to  Waynesboro. — No  rations 
Calling  the  roll. — Sylvania. — Plan  for  escape. — Lieutenant  John 
W.  Wright. — A  desperate  project. — Escaped  ! — Giving  chase. — 
The  pursuers  baffled. — Old  Richard. — "  Pooty  hard  case,  massa." 
— Rebel  deserters. — The  sound  of  cannon. — Personating  a  rebel 
officer. — Mrs.  Keyton. — Renewed  hope. — A  Confederate  outpost. 
— Bloodhounds. — Uncle  Philip. — March  Dasher. — Suspicion  dis- 
armed.— "Nowl'ze  ready,  gem  men." — Stars  and  stripes. — Glo- 
rious freedom. — Home ! 

IN  obedience  to  orders,  Glazier  and  his  comrade  were 
at  once  marched  off  to  the  county  jail  at  Spring- 
field, Georgia,  then  in  the  hands  of  the  military  author- 
ities. They  were  the  only  military  prisoners  confined 
there,  and  were  allowed  the  privilege  of  leaving  their 
cell  and  going  into  the  yard  for  fresh  air.  They  were 
not  a  little  amused  by  the  crowds  of  wondering  citizens 
who  visited  the  jail  to  view  the  "  two  live  Yanks." 

These  worthy  citizens  were  greatly  exercised  that  the 
prisoners  should  be  permitted  to  leave  their  cells,  and 
called  on  the  jailer  to  remove  them  from  the  yard  or 
they  would  take  the  keys  into  their  own  hands;  but 
the  officer  in  command  told  them  that  he  was  person- 
ally responsible  for  their  safe-custody,  and  refused  to 
remove  them.  These  white  Georgians  were  a  very 
primitive  class  of  people.  Utterly  illiterate  and  unin- 
formed, their  mode  of  speech  was  as  bad  as  that  of  the 
most  ignorant  slaves  on  the  plantations.  The  term 
"  white  trash,"  whatever  its  origin,  was  a  most  appro- 
(274) 


"IMPS   OF  DARKNESS."  275 

priate  designation.  No  care  had  been  taken  to  educate 
them — no  school-houses  built;  education  being  confined 
to  the  few  whose  wealth  enabled  them  to  send  their 
children  to  Northern  schools,  or  to  engage  a  private 
tutor.  Discovering  that  the  prisoners  were  harmless, 
many  of  these  people  asked  them  questions  of  a  curi- 
ous and  comical  nature.  They  thought  Yankees  were 
imps  of  darkness,  possessed  of  horns  and  hoof,  and, 
seeing  that  the  prisoners  were  formed  not  unlike  them- 
selves, were  with  difficulty  persuaded  that  they  were 
"  Yankees."  Their  idea  of  the  causes  and  character  of 
the  war  was  ludicrous  in  the  extreme,  and  will  hardly 
bear  description — the  negroes  themselves  being  far 
better  informed  upon  this,  as  they  were  upon  most 
other  subjects. 

A  very  brief  examination  before  a  hastily  convened 
board  of  officers  resulted  in  a  finding  that  the  captives 
were  "  escaped  prisoners  of  war,"  and  not  "  spies." 
They  were  accordingly  asked,  where  they  were  cap- 
tured, where  imprisoned,  when  they  escaped,  etc. ; 
and  then  a  strong  guard  from  the  Second  Georgia 
Cavalry  was  detailed  to  convey  them,  with  fifteen 
other  prisoners  from  the  Fourteenth  Army  Corps,  to 
Way  nes  boro. 

From  the  other  prisoners  Glazier  gleaned  much  use- 
ful information  concerning  the  situation  of  the  Union 
lines,  and  also  learned  where  the  rebel  troops  were 
stationed  in  Sherman's  rear.  Should  he  attempt 
another  escape,  this  knowledge  would  be  valuable. 
The  rebel  escort  cared  very  little  for  the  wants  of  their 
prisoners,  and  issued  no  rations  whatever  to  them — 
they  themselves  being  entirely  dependent  on  foraging 
for  their  own  supplies.  As  the  unfortunate  prisoners 


276  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

could  not  forage  for  themselves  they  had  to  go  without, 
a  condition  of  things  that  spoke  little  for  the  soldierly 
feeling  of  the  guard.  All  attempts  to  elude  the  vigi- 
lance of  the  latter  during  the  day  had  failed,  and  as 
darkness  drew  on,  Glazier  and  his  friend  felt  in  very 
low  spirits.  They  came  to  a  halt  a  few  minutes  before 
dark,  and  were  quartered  in  an  old  building  for  the 
night. 

In  passing  through  a  large  swamp,  just  before  halt- 
ing, the  water  was  so  deep  that  each  man  had  to  wade 
through  as  he  best  could.  The  guard  exerted  them- 
selves to  their  utmost  to  keep  them  together,  but  in  spite 
of  their  efforts  to  do  so,  one  of  the  prisoners  fell  out,  and 
his  absence  was  overlooked  by  the  sergeant,  although 
noticed  by  his  fellow-prisoners,  who  succeeded  in  con- 
vincing the  sergeant  that  all  were  present.  The  mode 
was  this:  Glazier  found  out  the  absent  man's  name,  and 
then  volunteered  to  call  the  roll  from  a  list  in  the  ser- 
geant's possession.  It  being  dark,  a  piece  of  pitch-pine 
was  lighted,  and  the  list  handed  to  Glazier,  who  pro- 
ceeded to  call  the  names.  All  answered,  except  the 
absentee,  when,  according  to  previous  arrangement, 
each  affirmed  that  no  such  man  had  been  among  them. 
The  sergeant  sapiently  concluded  that  the  name  had 
found  its  way  upon  the  roster  by  some  error,  and 
nothing  further  was  said  about  it.  Had  this  little  ruse 
not  been  resorted  to,  great  efforts  would  have  been 
made  to  recover  the  fugitive.  Picked  men  would  have 
been  detailed,  hounds  called  out  from  the  nearest  plan- 
tation, and  a  very  short  time  would  have  convinced 
the  unfortunate  victim  how  little  hope  there  was  for 
him  who  sought  to  shun  the  horrors  of  prison-life  by 
an  escape. 


SYLVAN! A,  GEORGIA.  277 

We  do  not  propose  entering  into  any  detail  of  this 
march  into  captivity,  more  especially  as  our  hero  has 
himself  fully  and  graphically  described  it  in  his  "Cap- 
ture, Prison-Pen  and  Escape,"  compiled  from  a  diary 
kept  during  the  whole  period  of  his  adventurous  career, 
ami  published  in  1865.  We  will  merely  state  here 
that  on  Monday,  December  nineteenth,  1864,  after  a 
dreary  march  of  twenty-five  miles,  the  captives  found 
themselves  encamped  for  the  night  at  the  little  vil- 
lage of  Sylvania,  Georgia;  half-way  between  the  point 
of  their  departure  and  that  of  their  destination, 
Waynes  bo  ro. 

Glazier's  mind,  during  the  whole  of  the  day,  had 
been  preoccupied  with  but  one  subject — how  to  escape! 
— this  problem  excluding  every  other  thought  or  con- 
sideration of  himself  or  his  surroundings. 

Early  in  the  evening  the  prisoners  were  stationed  on 
the  porch  of  a  large  unoccupied  building,  and  here  it 
was  determined  they  should  pass  the  night.  The  vil- 
lagers of  Sylvania  knew  little  of  the  sad  realities  of 
war,  having  hitherto  happily  escaped  the  visits  of  the 
armed  hosts.  They  surrounded  the  men  of  the  escort, 
and  plied  them  with  many  curious  questions,  which 
were  good-naturedly  answered  with  as  much,  or  as 
little  exaggeration  as  good  soldiers  usually  indulge  in 
when  confronted  with  greenhorns.  Their  attention, 
thus  agreeably  occupied  by  the  simple-minded  villagers, 
was  in  some  degree  removed  from  their  charge,  and 
this  little  circumstance  seemed  propitious  to  Glazier, 
who  was  watching  intently  his  opportunity. 

The  sergeant  had  notified  the  prisoners  that  his 
foragers  had  returned  with  a  quantity  of  sweet  potatoes 
and  some  corn-bread  ;  that  the  former  would  be  issued 


278  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

to  the  "  Yanks,"  and  the  latter  to  the  guard.  Orders  also 
were  given  to  place  all  the  food  at  one  end  of  the  porch, 
where  a  fire  had  been  kindled  of  rail  fence ;  and  the  po- 
tatoes were  to  be  served  to  the  prisoners  from  that  point. 

Glazier,  under  the  pretence  of  desiring  to  use  the 
lire  for  the  purpose  of  roasting  the  potatoes,  obtained 
leave  for  all  to  remain  outside  on  the  porch  until  after 
supper.  This  concession  reluctantly  granted,  hope 
sprang  in  his  breast  that  the  opportunity  he  so  ardently 
sought  was  now  at  hand.  Quickly  he  determined 
ujx>n  his  plan  of  operation,  and  seeing  Lieutenant  John 
W.  Wright,  of  the  Tenth  Iowa  Volunteers,  near  him, 
whispered  in  his  ear  an  outline  of  his  desperate  project, 
and  invited  the  latter  to  join  in  putting  it  into  execu- 
tion. To  this  projx)sitioH,  without  a  moment's  consid- 
eration, Wright  consented. 

The  two  candidates  for  freedom  then  sauntered  to- 
wards the  end  of  the  porch,  conversing  loudly  and 
cheerfully  upon  general  topics,  and  thus  excited  no 
suspicion  of  their  intentions.  The  hungry  prisoners 
gathered  around  the  ration-board,  when  Glazier,  cov- 
ertly signaling  his  companion,  each  suddenly  clutched 
a  good  handful  of  the  corn-bread.  Under  cover  of  the 
increasing  darkness,  and  screened  from  observation  by 
the  men  who  stood  between  them  and  the  guard,  they 
quietly  but  rapidly,  in  a  stooping  position,  stole  away, 
making  for  the  edge  of  a  neighboring  wood.  Not  a 
word  was  spoken,  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  re- 
cord it,  they  were  concealed  among  the  foliage  and 
undergrowth ;  and,  befriended  by  the  darkness,  were 
completely  masked  from  the  observation  of  the  enemy. 

Fortunately  their  flight  was  unobserved  until  after 
the  distribution  of  the  rations,  when  the  guard  missed 


FREE  AGAIN?  279 

their  corn-bread.  This  seemed  to  be  felt  more  than* 
the  loss  of  their  prisoners,  the  sergeant  exclaiming,  in 
euphemistic  southern  (according  to  Glazier),  "  By  dog 
on't!  the  d — d  Yankee  officers  have  done  gone  and 
took  all  our  corn-bread.  I'll  have  them,  if  it  costs  me 
a  horse!" 

Calling  out  a  corporal  and  four  men,  he  quickly  or- 
dered them  to  go  to  the  nearest  plantation  for  hounds, 
and  to  "  bring  back  the  two  Yanks  dead  or  alive,"  add- 
ing that  he  "  guessed  they  had  taken  the  Springfield 
road,"  which  was  the  nearest  route  to  the  Federal 
lines. 

It  happened,  however,  that  the  peremptory  orders  of 
the  sergeant  were  overheard  by  Glazier  and  Wright, 
who  were  hidden  not  many  yards  away  in  the  wood. 
Instead,  therefore,  of  proceeding  on  the  direct  road  by 
way  of  Springfield,  they  retraced  their  steps  in  the 
dark,  and  by  this  means  baffled  their  pursuers.  Hav- 
ing reached  the  Middle  Ground  Road,  over  which  they 
had  lately  passed,  they  bounded  over  it  to  avoid  leav- 
ing their  foot-prints,  and  thus  broke  the  trail.  They 
were  now  in  a  large  and  densely-wooded  swamp,  and, 
effectually  concealed  by  the  umbrageous  covering,  sat 
down  to  a  council  of  war. 

We  may  here  state  that  Lieutenant  Lemon,  the  late 
faithful  com  pan  ion  of  our  hero,  had  been  prevented  from 
participating  in  the  plan  of  escape,  and  was  eventually 
taken  back  to  be  re-tortured  in  his  old  quarters  at 
Columbia.  Wright  was  also  an  escaped  prisoner  from 
Columbia,  whom  Glazier  had  often  met  during  his 
imprisonment  there.  He  escaped  from  "Camp  Sor- 
ghum"a  few  days  after  Lemon  and  Glazier,  bat  un- 
fortunately was  recaptured  just  when  he  felt  that  he 
was  about  to  bid  adieu  to  his  captivity. 


280  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

*  Lieutenant  Wright  possessed  one  advantage  for  th« 
dangerous  and  desperate  enterprise  they  had  now  re- 
entered  upon — he  knew  the  country.  By  his  advice, 
therefore,  it  was  agreed  to  remain  quietly  concealed  in 
the  swamp  until  night,  when  he  would  lead  the  way  to 
the  hut  of  a  negro  who  had  befriended  him  during  his 
previous  attempt  to  escape. 

About  midnight  he  piloted  Glazier  to  the  hut  of 
"Old  Richard,"  a  worthy  and  kind-hearted  negro,  who 
had  supplied  him  with  hoe-cake  and  bacon  just 
before  his  recapture.  •  Richard  was  in  ecstasies  on 
beholding  his  friend,  Massa  Wright,  again,  whom  he 
knew  to  have  been  retaken,  and  with  due  formality,  our 
hero  was  introduced.  On  being  asked  for  some  bacon 
and  sweet  potatoes  to  put  with  their  corn-bread,  he  re- 
plied :  "  Pooty  hard  case,  massa;  but  dis  yer  darkey  '11 
do  de  best  he  can.  Can't  get  nuffin'  on  this  plantation, 
but  reckon  I  can  buysorue'tatoesdownatMassaSmith's, 
three  miles  from  yer,  and  will  go  down  thar  after  I 
finish  my  task  to-inorrer.  As  to  meat,"  he  said,  "you 
know,  massa,  dat  in  the  Souf  de  slave  takes  what  de 
white  folks  frows  away,  and  I  reckon  you  all  couldn't 
eat  a  tainted  ham  dat  ole  massa  gib  me  t'other  day;  but 
if  you  can,  God  knows  dis  chile  gibs  it  to  you  wid  all 
his  heart."  Having  become,  from  long  fasting,  almost 
entirely  indifferent  to  the  sense  of  taste,  our  friends 
gave  Old  Richard  to  understand  that  the  ham  would 
be  welcome. 

The  important  question  of  rations  having  been  thus 
satisfactorily  arranged,  Richard  was  asked  to  guide  the 
fugitives  to  some  place  of  hiding,  where  no  rebel  could 
find  them.  Accordingly,  they  were  conducted  to  a 
swamp,  and  soon  discovered  a  secure  place  of  conceal- 


LIEUTENANT  W RIGHT.  281 

ment  for  the  day.  "The  whippoorwill  and  turtle-dove," 
Captain  Glazier  writes,  "enlivened  the  hours  with  their 
inspiring  notes,  and  as  night  began  to  approach,  the 
gloomy  owl,  from  the  tree-tops,  uttered  his  solemn 
warning  cry.  The  pine  and  cypress,  swayed  by  the 
breeze,  moaned  a  perpetual  chorus,  and  under  their 
teaching  we  learned,  during  the  long,  dreary  hours, 
how  much  we  were  indebted  to  these  dismal  wilds, 
that  concealed  both  friend  and  foe. 

"  Here  the  rebel  deserter  concealed  himself  from  his 
pursuers.  Here  the  loyalist  found  a  hiding-place  from 
the  rebel  conscripting  officer.  Here  the  trembling 
negro  had  his  first  taste  of  freedom.  Here  the  escaped 
Union  prisoner  was  enabled  to  baffle  blood-hounds  and 
human-hounds,  and  make  his  way  to  the  Federal 
lines." 

The  day  wore  away  at  length,  and  as  darkness  was 
approaching,  Old  Richard,  true  to  his  promise,  was  on 
hand  with  the  supplies.  He  gave  the  fugitives  all  he 
had  been  able  to  purchase  with  his  small  means,  and 
they,  after  asking  God  to  bless  him  for  his  kindness> 
departed.  Our  friends  trudged  away,  rejoicing,  not- 
withstanding their  fatigue,  and  the  bodily  weakness  of 
Glazier.  For  the  latter  had  by  this  time  been  reduced  in 
weight  to  not  more  than  ninety  pounds,  his  usual  weight 
having  been  about  one  hundred  and  forty-five.  He 
was  still,  however,  filled  with  indomitable  "  pluck,"  and 
a  determination  to  conquer  the  situation,  with  all  its 
dread  horrors,  and  return  to  his  colors.  Wright,  on 
the  other  hand,  had  a  splendid  physique,  and  cared 
little  for  hardships  that  would  have  intimidated,  or 
perhaps  killed,  an  ordinary  man.  On  several  occasions 
he  picked  Glazier  up  and  generously  bore  him  upon 


282  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

his  broad  shoulders  over  the  worst  parts  of  the  swamp, 
the  latter  being  too  weak  to  make  his  way  alone  with- 
out falling  into  the  slough-holes. 

They  were  startled,  in  the  course  of  this  night,  on 
seeing  two  men,  who,  by  their  conversation,  which  was 
overheard,  proved  to  be  rebel  deserters  from  Wheeler's 
command.  Our  friends  deemed  it  the  wisest  plan  to 
secrete  themselves  behind  a  log  until  the  men  had 
passed. 

At  break 'of  day  they  again  concealed  themselves, 
and  rested  between  the  roots  of  an  ancient  cypress. 
Their  ears  were  now  greeted  with  the  distant  boom  of 
heavy  cannon,  which  came  from  the  direction  of 
Savannah.  This  helped  in  directing  their  course  for 
the  following  night,  and  also  announced  to  them  in 
plain  language  that  they  were  not  very  far  from  the 
friends  they  longed  to  meet. 

Refreshed  and  recruited  they  started  as  the  shades 
of  evening  fell,  determined,  if  possible,  to  accomplish  a 
good  march  before  daylight. 

They  had  not,  however,  proceeded  far,  when  a  large 
plantation  became  visible,  the  white  mansion  gleaming 
through  the  trees.  Wright  recognizing  the  place, 
suggested  that  Glazier  might  procure  a  good  supper, 
and  something  for  the  haversack,  if  he  would  boldly 
call  and  personate  a  rebel  officer,  trusting  to  his 
face  and  ready  wit  to  carry  him  through.  He  had 
heard  from  some  negroes  that  the  only  occupant  was 
a  Mrs.  Keyton  and  some  young  children,  the  wife  and 
family  of  the  planter,  who  was  an  officer  in  the 
rebel  army;  and  further  that  there  were  no  hounds 
about  the  place. 

Glazier,  with  characteristic  promptness,  acquiesced ; 


A  FORAGING  EXPEDITION.  283 

and  the  following  is  a  description  of  the  interview, 
extracted  from  the  diary,  which  amid  all  his  wander- 
ings and  trials  he  never  failed  to  keep  regularly  writ- 
ten up: 

"After  hearing  "Wright's  description,  and  having 
agreed  upon  signals  of  danger,  should  any  occur,  I 
started  on  my  foraging  expedition,  with  a  good  degree 
of  assurance. 

"  Stepping  up  to  the  door  of  the  mansion,  I  rapped, 
and  the  lady  soon  made  her  appearance.  She  seemed 
both  refined  and  intelligent.  I  asked,  '  Can  you  give 
this  rebel  a  supper?'  She  replied, 'You  shall  have 
the  best  the  house  affords/  and  invited  me  to  step  in 
and  take  a  seat  by  the  fire.  I  did  so,  saying,  as  I  took 
my  seat,  l  Madam,  I  am  shocked  at  the  dastardly  con- 
duct of  General  Sherman  in  his  march  through 
Georgia.  It  has  been  characterized  by  nothing  but 
what  should  excite  revenge,  and  move  to  action,  every 
man  possessing  a  true  Southern  spirit.  Our  aged  citi- 
zens, who  have  banded  together  for  mutual  protection, 
have  been  treated  as  bushwackers — have  been  driven 
from  their  homes,  and  their  property  confiscated.  Our 
hounds,  always  true  to  the  interests  of  the  South,  have 
been  shot  down  by  the  road-side  for  no  other  reason 
than  that  they  were  used  in  tracking  escaped  pris- 
oners—' 

"  Interrupting  me  here,  the  lady  remarked,  much  to 
my  surprise,  that  she  could  not  see  that  the  Yankees 
were  much  worse  than  the  Confederates,  after  all. 
She  added :  "  *  When  the  Yankee  army  passed  through 
this  State,  they  took  from  the  rich  the  supplies  necessary 
for  their  sustenance ;  and  when  our  cavalry  followed 
they  took  nearly  all  that  was  left,  seeming  to  care 
(194) 


284  SWORD  AND  PEfi. 

but  little  for  our  wants,  and  often  stripping  defence- 
less women  and  children  of  their  last  morsel  of 
bread/ 

"'I  regret,  madam,  that  the  conduct  of  our  troops 
has  been  such  as  to  give  you  reason  for  complaint/ 

" '  I,  too,  regret  that  our  men  have  not  proved  them- 
selves worth}7  of  a  cause  which  they  appear  so  willing 
to  defend.' 

"'Remember,'  I  continued,  'that  our  commis- 
sary department  has  been  completely  wrecked,  and 
that  we  are  entirely  dependent  upon  the  people  for  the 
subsistence  of  a  large  army.' 

"By  the  sad  expression  of  her  countenance,  which 
accompanied  and  followed  this  remark,  I  saw  clearly 
that  she  felt  we  had  reached  a  crisis  in  the  war,  when 
Providence  was  turning  the  tables,  and  she  accordingly 
interrogated : 

"'And  what  do  you  think  of  present  prospects?' 

"  I  quickly  responded,  '  Our  future  looks  dark — 
our  cause  appears  almost  hopeless,  but  the  sacrifices  of 
our  gallant  dead  remain  unavenged.  Therefore,  we 
must  fight  while  there  is  a  man  left,  and  die  in  the 
last  ditch.' 

'"If  there  be  no  longer  any  hope  of  success,  sir,  I 
should  say  that  it  would  be  better  to  lay  down  our 
arms  at  once,  and  go  back  under  the  old  flag.' 

"'Madam,  we  must  fight,  we  mustjight!' 

'"But  it  is  wickedness  and  worse  than  madness  to 
continue  this  awful  massacre  of  human  beings,  with- 
out some  prospect  of  ultimate  success.' 

" '  Very  true ;  but  we  have  lost  all  in  this  struggle, 
and  must  sell  our  lives  as  dearly  as  possible.' 

"By  this  time  the  good  lady  seemed  to  have  waxed 


THE   WIFE  OF  A  REBEL.  285 

enthusiastic,  and  warm  as  the  fire  over  which  the  ser- 
vant was  preparing  my  supper,  and  she  answered : 

"'My  husband  is  a  captain  in  the  Twenty-fifth 
Georgia  Infantry.  He  is  the  father  of  these  children, 
and  is  very  dear  to  both  them  and  me.  Long  have  I 
prayed  that  he  might  be  spared  to  return  to  his  family, 
but  fear  that  we  shall  never  be  permitted  to  see  him 
again.  When  he  entered  the  army,  I  admired  his 
patriotism,  and  was  glad  to  see  him  go  in  defence  of 
what  I  supposed  to  be  the  true  interests  of  the  southern 
people ;  but  we  have  been  deceived  from  the  beginning 
by  our  military  and  political  leaders.  It  is  time  to 
open  our  eyes,  and  see  what  obstinacy  has  brought  us. 
We  are  conquered.  Let  us  return  to  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Federal  government,  ere  we  are  ruined.' 

"  Madam,  your  sympathies  appear  to  be  largely 
with  the  Yankees.' 

" '  It  is  not  strange,  sir;  I  was  born  and  educated  in 
New  England ; — and  your  speech  would  indicate  that 
you  too  are  not  a  native  of  the  South.' 

" '  You  are  right ;  I  am  a  New  Yorker  by  birth,  but 
have  been  for  a  considerable  time  in  South  Carolina.' 

"After  partaking  of  the  frugal  meal  set  before  me, 
which  consisted  of  corn-bread  and  sweet  potatoes,  1 
thanked  the  lady  for  her  kindness,  and  told  her  that  I 
regretted  very  deeply  that  I  was  not  in  a  situation  to 
remunerate  her  for  so  much  trouble.  Noticing  my 
blue  pants  as  I  arose  from  the  table,  she  remarked: 

"  '  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  know  our  men  from 
the  Yankees  by  the  uniform;  but  a  few  days  since,  two 
soldiers  asked  me  to  get  them  some  supper,  claiming 
to  be  scouts  to  General  Wheeler ;  they  told  many  very 
plausible  stories,  and  the  next  day,  to  my  astonishment, 
I  was  charged  with  harboring  Yankee  spies.' 


286  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

"'I  do  not.  wonder  that  you  find  it  difficult  to  dis- 
tinguish the  Yankee  from  the  Confederate  soldier,  for 
in  these  trying  times  a  poor  rebel  is  compelled  to  wear 
anything  he  can  get.  The  dead  are  always  stripped, 
and  at  this  season  of  the  year,  we  find  the  Federal  uni- 
form far  more  comfortable  than  our  own.' 

"  '  It  must  be  an  awful  extremity  that  could  tempt 
men  to  strip  the  dying  and  the  dead  ! ' 

" '  We  have  become  so  much  accustomed  to  such  prac- 
tices, that  we  are  unmoved  by  scenes  which  might  appall 
and  sicken  those  who  have  never  served  in  our  ranks.' 

"'I  sincerely  hope  that  these  murderous  practices 
will  soon  be  at  an  end.' 

"  Feeling  that  I  had  been  absent  from  my  comrade 
long  enough,  and  that  it  was  time  to  make  my  depar- 
ture, I  arose,  saying, 

"'I  must  go,  madam  ;  may  I  know  to  whom  I  am 
so  much  indebted  for  my  supper  and  kind  entertain- 
ment this  evening?' 

"'Mrs.  James  Keyton.  And  what  may  I  call  your 
name  ? ' 

"'Willard  Glazier,  Fifty-third  Alabama  Mounted 
Infantry.' 

"' Should  you  chance  to  meet  the  Twenty-fifth 
Georgia,  please  inquire  for  Captain  Keyton,  and  say 
to  him  that  his  wife  and  children  are  well,  and  send 
their  love.' 

"'He  shall  certainly  have  your  message  if  it  is  my 
good  fortune  to  meet  him.  Good-night.'" 

Leaving  Mrs.  Keyton  with  her  fears  for  the  rebel 
cause  in  general,  and  her  husband  in  particular,  Glazier 
hurried  out  to  find  his  friend  Wright  pacing  up  and 
down  the  road  in  a  bad  humor  at  having  been  kept  so 


"WE  ARE  FOLLOWED."  287 

long  waiting ;  but  setting  their  faces  in  the  direction 
of  Springfield,  they  at  once  started  on  their  march. 
They  soon  found  themselves  approaching  the  rebel 
forces  in  General  Sherman's  rear,  and  determined  at  all 
risks  to  obtain  information  of  the  two  armies.  They 
were  at  General  Iverson's  headquarters,  and  at  one 
time  were  within  fifteen  paces  of  the  house  he  occupied. 

Cautiously  concealing  themselves  behind  trees  they 
reached  a  spot  within  earshot  of  the  provost-guard, 
and  overheard  their  conversation.  The  prospects  of 
the  war  were  freely  discussed,  and  the  fall  of  Savannah. 
The  conclusion  forced  on  the  minds  of  our  friends  was 
that  the  Confederate  cause  was  losing  ground,  and  its 
armies  would  soon  be  compelled  to  surrender  to  the 
Union  force. 

Glazier  and  his  comrade  left  the  spot  inspired  with 
renewed  courage. 

Six  miles  on  their  road  to  Springfield  found  daylight 
approaching,  and  the  fugitives  hurriedly  secreted  them- 
selves among  some  tall  swamp  grass.  They  were 
suddenly  aroused  by  the  baying  of  a  blood-hound,  and 
immediately  sprang  to  their  feet. 

"  We  are  followed!  "  exclaimed  Wright. 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do  ? "  quickly  asked 
Glazier. 

"  I  am  undecided,"  was  the  unsatisfactory  reply. 

"It  is  my  opinion,"  said  Glazier,  promptly,  "that 
if  we  are  not  off  at  once  we  shall  be  prisoners." 

"  Well,  off  it  is!"  spoke  Wright ;  and  both  struck 
off  in  a  southeasterly  direction  in  double  quick  time. 
Fences  and  ditches  were  leaped,  and  streams  forded, 
the  hounds  approaching  so  nearly  that  their  baying 
could  be  distinctly  heard  by  the  fugitives ;  but  fortu- 
22 


288  SWORD  AXD  PEN. 

uately,  or  providentially,  they  came  to  a  large  creek,  and 
jumping  in,  waded  along  its  course  for  a  distance  of 
some  sixty  rods,  then  emerging,  pursued  their  journey 
in  the  direction  they  had  intended.  About  one  o'clock 
they  concluded  they  had  out-generaled  the  bush- 
whackers and  their  hounds.  Elated  by  success  they 
became  less  cautious  and  did  not  halt.  About  two 
o'clock  Glazier  was  startled  by  seeing  his  companion 
drop  suddenly  and  silently  behind  a  tree.  Glazier 
followed,  watching  the  movements  of  Wright,  and 
presently  saw  that  they  were  within  a  few  rods  of  a 
Confederate  picket.  Before  they  had  time  to  move 
a  cavalry  patrol  came  up  to  the  post  with  instructions, 
and,  as  soon  as  he  had  passed,  our  friends  crawled  upon 
their  hands  and  knees  into  the  friendly  swamp,  and 
thus  screened  themselves  from  their  enemy. 

The  hounds,  however,  were  a  source  of  greater  dan- 
ger to  the  fugitives  than  the  rebel  pickets;  the  training 
and  scent  of  the  former  having  been  so  perfected  and 
developed  by  long  and  cruel  use  in  the  recapture  of 
fugitive  slaves,  that,  to  evade  them,  was  almost  an 
impossibility.  Hence  the  sense  of  caution  was  strained 
to  the  utmost  both  by  night  and  day  on  the  part  of  our 
friends. 

The  use  of  blood-hounds  in  warfare  is  considered 
barbarous  in  every  country  pretending  to  civilization, 
even  if  they  are  employed  against  a  foreign  foe.  How 
much  more  so,  in  a  war  waged  between  fellow-citizens 
of  one  blood,  one  history,  one  language,  and  in  numer- 
ous instances,  bearing  domestic:  or  family  relations  to 
each  other ;  and  this,  in  support  of  a  cause,  the  right- 
eousness of  which  was  doubted  by  many  who  found 
themselves  unwillingly  compelled  to  give  in  their 


"UNCLE  PHILIPS  289 

adherence  at  the  dictation  of  a  few  ambitious  men. 
For  this  sin  a  righteous  God  has  judged  them !  A 
cause  thus  supported  deserved  defeat  in  the  estimation 
of  just  men  of  every  nation,  apart  from  all  political 
considerations. 

Captain  Glazier  and  his  friend  congratulated  them- 
selves on  having  so  far  eluded,  by  every  expedient 
known  to  them,  the  sanguinary  fangs  of  these  bar- 
barous instruments  of  warfare ;  and  after  nightfall  con- 
tinued their  route,  passing  the  picket  in  the  darkness. 

Soon  after  they  encountered  a  colored  friend,  known 
among  his  people  as  "  Uncle  Philip."  This  good 
darkey  informed  them  that  the  Federal  forces  had 
possession  of  Cherokee  Hill,  on  the  Savannah  River 
Road,  only  eight  miles  distant — news  which  afforded 
them  inexpressible  joy !  Uncle  Philip  was  asked  if 
he  would  guide  them  to  the  lines ;  and  replied :  "  I'ze 
neber  ben  down  dar,  massa,  sense  Massa  Sherman's 
company  went  to  Savannah;  but  I  reckon  you-uns  can 
git  Massa  Jones,  a  free  cullered  man,  to  take  you  ober. 
He's  a  mighty  bright  pusson,  and  understands  de 
swamps  jest  like  a  book." 

On  reaching  Jones'  hut  his  wife  informed  them  that 
her  husband  was  out  scouting,  but  was  expected  back 
about  eleven  o'clock.  She  urged  our  friends  to  enter 
and  await  his  return,  as  he  was  always  glad  to  do  all 
in  his  power  for  the  Yankees.  Fearing  the  rebel 
scouts  might  discover  them,  they,  at  first,  hesitated, 
but  consented  on  Mrs.  Jones  promising  to  be  on  the 
alert.  She  accordingly  volunteered  her  two  boys,  one 
of  eight  years  and  the  other  six,  for  out-post  duty, 
charging  them  strictly  to  notify  her  immediately  if 
they  saw  any  one  approaching,  so  that  she  might  con- 


290  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

ceal  the  fugitives.  Auntie  then  promptly  placed  before 
them  a  bountiful  supply  of  hoe-cake  and  parched  corn, 
the  best  her  humble  cot  afforded,  and  most  welcome  to 
the  famished  men. 

Jones  returned  at  the  appointed  hour,  but  informed 
his  guests  that,  while  very  willing  to  guide  them,  he 
was  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  safest  route  to 
do  so ;  and  referred  them  to  a  frieud  of  his,  who  would 
accompany  them,  and  whom  he  could  strongly  recom- 
mend as  a  competent  and  safe  guide.  On  visiting  this 
man  he  also  pleaded  ignorance  of  any  safe  route ;  but 
mentioned  the  name  of  still  another  "  friend  of  the 
Yankees,"  who,  he  said,  had  come  up  from  the  Union 
lines  that  morning  and  would  willingly  return  with 
them.  This  friendly  negro  also  was  found.  He  was  a 
genuine  negro,  as  black  as  ebony  and  very  devout  in 
his  mode  of  speech.  His  name  was  "  March  Dasher." 
"I'll  do  it,  massa,  if  God  be  my  helper!"  he  answered 
to  their  eager  inquiry. 

Glazier  and  his  comrade  were  impatient  to  start  at 
once,  but  upon  this  point  Dasher  was  inexorable. 
"  Dis  chile  knows  whar  de  pickets  is  in  de  day-time," 
he  emphaticajly  declared,  "  but  knows  nuffin  'bout  'em 
arter  dark  ;  "  and  absolutely  declined  to  take  the  risk 
of  falling  within  the  Confederate  lines — an  act  of  pru- 
dence and  firmness  for  which  he  was  to  be  much  com- 
mended. 

A  fear  of  treachery  was  aroused  when  Dasher  tried 
to  induce  them  to  remain  in  his  hut  till  morning,  but 
this  was  immediately  and  entirely  removed  when  he 
and  his  household  at  a  signal,  fell  on  their  knees,  and 
joined  in  simple  but  fervent  prayer  to  the  Almighty, 
as  a  friend  of  the  friendless — beseeching  Him  to  pro- 


MARCH  DASHER.  291 

tect  and  prosper  them  in  their  efforts  to  flee  from  their 
enemies;  and  much  more  of  a  nature  to  disarm  any 
suspicion  of  their  fidelity  and  good-will  to  the  Union 
cause. 

Our  friends,  however,  declined  to  remain  in  the  hut, 
fearing  a  surprise  from  the  outpost;  and  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  prayer,  betook  themselves  to  a  pine  thicket 
with  the  joint  resolution  of  giving  their  dark  friend  no 
peace  until  he  started  with  them  to  the  Federal  lines. 

About  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Wright,  impa- 
tient of  delay,  proceeded  to  the  hut,  and  arousing 
Dasher,  told  him  that  day  had  just  begun  to  break.  He 
came  to  the  door,  and  pointing  to  the  stars  in  the 
unclouded  sky,  remarked,  with  a  good-tempered  smile, 
"  I  reck'n  it's  good  many  hours  yet  till  break  ob  day, 
massa.  Yer  can't  fool  March  on  detime;  his  clock 
neber  breaks  down.  It's  jest  right  ebery  time." 
Wright  returned  to  his  lair  in  the  thicket,  remarking 
irritably,  as  he  threw  himself  down,  "  Glazier,  you 
might  as  well  undertake  to  move  a  mountain,  as  to  get 
the  start  of  that  colored  individual !" 

At  the  first  peep  of  dawn,  punctual  to  his  promise, 
Dasher  thrust  his  black,  good-humored  face  into  the 
thicket,  and  announced : 

"  Now  I'ze  ready,  gemmen,  to  take  you  right  plum 
into  Mr.  Sherman's  company  by  'sun-up;'"  and  as  Sol 
began  to  gild  the  tree-tops  and  the  distant  eastern  hills, 
the  trio  came  within  sight  of  the  Federal  camp,  and 
witnessed  the  "Stars  and  Stripes,"  floating  triumph- 
antly in  the  breeze! 

What  pen  can  describe  their  emotions,  when — after 
more  than  fourteen  long  months'  suffering  from  im- 
prisonment, starvation,  nakedness,  bodily  and  mental 


292  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

prostration,  and  every  inhumanity  short  of  being  mur- 
dered, like  many  of  their  imprisoned  comrades,  in  cold 
blood — they  again  hailed  friends  and  found  freedom  at 
last  within  their  grasp!  Words  would  fail  to  tell  their 
joy.  Let  us  leave  it  to  the  reader  to  imagine. 

On  first  approaching  the  camp  they  were  supposed, 
by  their  motley  attire,  to  be  deserters  from  the  enemy ; 
and,  as  true  soldiers  and  deserters  never  fraternize,  no 
signal  of  welcome  was  offered  by  the  "boys  in  blue." 
The  suspicions  of  the  latter,  however,  were  allayed  on 
seeing  Glazier  and  his  companion  wave  their  caps : 
then  they  were  beckoned  to  come  forward.  And  when 
it  was  discovered  that  they  were  escaped  prisoner's,  an 
enthusiastic  grip  was  given  to  each  by  every  soldier 
present,  accompanied  by  cordial  congratulations  on 
their  successful  escape  from  the  barbarous  enemy  who 
had  had  them  in  custody. 

"Each  man,"  writes  Glazier,  "took  us  by  the  hand, 
congratulating  us  on  our  eventful  and  successful  escape, 
while  we  cheered  the  boys  for  the  glorious  work  they 
had  accomplished  for  the  Union.  Haversacks  were 
opened  and  placed  at  our  disposal.  There  was  a  great 
demand  for  hard-tack  and  coffee ;  but  the  beauty  of  it 
all  was,  Major  Turner  was  not  there,  to  say  what  he 
often  repeated,  'Reduce  their  rations;  I'll  teach  the 
d — d  scoundrels  not  to  attempt  to  escape ! ' 

"I  cannot  forget,"  he  adds,  "the  sea  of  emotion 
that  well-nigh  overwhelmed  me,  as  soon  as  I  could 
realize  the  fact  that  I  was  no  longer  a  prisoner,  and 
especially  when  I  beheld  the  starry  banner  floating  tri- 
umphantly over  the  invincibles  who  had  followed  their 
great  General  down  to  the  sea." 

Our  hero  and   his  friend   became  objects  of  much 


AT  KILPATRICK'S  HEADQUARTERS.        293 

curiosity,  while  their  eventful  escape  was  the  subject 
of  general  conversation  and  comment  by  the  brave 
boys  who  pressed  around  them,  and  who  proved  to  be  a 
detachment  of  the  One  Hundred  and  First  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers, Twentieth  Army  Corps.  Their  most  intimate 
friends  would  have  failed  to  recognize  them.  Glazier 
was  clad  in  an  old  gray  jacket  and  blue  pants,  with  a 
venerable  and  dilapidated  hat  which  had  seen  a  pro- 
digious amount  of  service  of  a  nondescript  kind  ;  while 
a  tattered  gray  blanket  that  had  done  duty  for  many  a 
month  as  a  bed  by  day  and  a  cloak  by  night,  and  was 
now  in  the  last  stage  of  dissolution  from  age  and  gen- 
eral infirmity,  completed  his  unmilitary  and  unpreten- 
tious toilet.  Having  at  first  no  one  to  identify  them, 
Glazier  and  his  companion  were  as  strangers  among 
friends,  and  necessarily  without  official  recognition.  At 
length,  however,  after  much  searching,  they  found 
Lieutenant  Wright's  old  company,  and  thus  the 
refugees  became  officially  identified  and  recognized 
as  Federal  officers. 

In  company  with  Lieutenant  E.  H.  Fales,  who  had 
been  his  fellow-prisoner  at  Charleston,  and  effected  his 
escape,  Glazier  proceeded  on  horseback  to  the  head- 
quarters of  General  Kilpatrick.  The  General,  cordi- 
ally welcoming  and  congratulating  Glazier  on  his 
happy  escape,  at  once  furnished  him  with  the  docu- 
ments necessary  to  secure  his  transportation  to  the 
North.  His  term  of  service  having  expired,  he  was 
anxious  to  revisit  his  family,  who  thought  him  dead, 
and  bidding  an  affectionate  adieu  to  his  friend  Wright, 
he  and  Lieutenant  Fales  embarked  on  a  steamship  on 
December  twenty-ninth  for  home.  After  experiencing 
the  effects  of  a  severe  storm  at  sea,  the  vessel  arrived  at 


294  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

the  wharf  of  the  metropolis,  and  our  hero  adds:  "I 
awoke  to  the  glorious  realization  that  I  was  again 
breathing  the  air  of  my  native  State.  There  was  an 
exhilarating  rapture  in  the  thought,  which  I  can 
never  repress,  and  that  moment  was  fixed  as  a  golden 
era  in  my  memory.  I  hope  never  to  become  so  hard- 
ened that  that  patriotic  and  Christian  exultation  will 
be  an  unpleasant  recollection." 

There  have  probably  been  few  hearts  that  beat 
higher  with  martial  ardor,  than  that  of  Willard  Glazier; 
but  at  that  moment  the  thought  of  "Battle's  red  car- 
nival "  was  merged  in  the  gentler  recollection  of  kin- 
dred and  friends,  rest  and  home. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

GLAZIER   RE-ENTERS   THE  SERVICE. 

Glazier's  determination  to  re-enter  the  army. — Letter  to  Colonel 
Harhaus. — Testimonial  from  Colonel  Clarence  Buel. — Letter  from 
Hon.  Martin  I.  Townsend  to  governor  of  New  York. — Letter 
from  General  Davies. — Letter  from  General  Kilpatrick. — Ap- 
plication for  new  commission  successful. — Home. — The  mother 
fails  to  recognize  her  son. — Supposed  to  be  dead. — Recognized  by 
his  sister  Marjorie. — Filial  and  fraternal  love. — Reports  himself 
to  his  commanding  officer  for  duty. — Close  of  the  war  and  of 
Glazier's  military  career. — Seeks  a  new  object  in  life. — An  idea 
occurs  to  him. — Becomes  an  author,  and  finds  a  publisher. 

HOME,  with  its  rest,  its  peaceful  enjoyments  and 
endearments,  was  no  abiding  place  for  onr 
young  soldier  while  his  bleeding  country  still  battled 
for  the  right,  and  called  upon  her  sons  for  self-denying 
service  in  her  cause.  He  had  registered  a  vow  to 
remain  in  the  army  until  relieved  by  death,  or  the 
termination  of  the  war.  His  heart  and  soul  were  in 
the  Union  cause,  and  finding  that  at  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  service  he  had  been  mustered  out,  he  had 
determined  before  proceeding  to  his  home  to  apply  for 
another  commission,  and,  if  possible,  resume  his  place 
at  the  front. 

The  following  letter,  which  we  think  stamps  his 
earnest  loyalty  to  the  cause  he  had  espoused,  and  for 
which  he  had  already  suffered  so  much,  was  addressed 
to  his  friend  and  patron : 


296  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

*H 

January  10th,  1865. 


ASTOR  HOUSE,  NEW  YORK,  \ 


COLONEL  OTTO  HARHAUS, 

Late  of  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry: 

DEAR  COLONEL:  Having  reached  our  lines,  an  escaped  prisoner, 
on  the  twenty-third  of  hist  month,  I  at  once  took  steps  to  ascertain 
my  position  in  the  old  regiment,  and  regret  to  say,  was  informed  at 
the  war  department  that  as  my  term  of  service  expired  during  my 
imprisonment ;  and,  as  I  had  not  remustered  previous  to  capture,  I 
am  now  regarded  supernumerary.  I  wish  to  remain  in  the  service 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  so  expressed  myself  before  I  fell  into 
the  h  mds  of  the  enemy.  Fourteen  months  in  rebel  prisons  has  not 
increased  my  respect  for  "Southern  chivalry" — in  short  I  have 
some  old  scores  to  settle. 

I  write,  colonel,  to  ascertain  if  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  advise 
me  as  to  what  steps  I  had  better  take  to  secure  a  new  commission 
in  the  Cavalry  Corps,  and  to  ask  if  you  will  favor  me  with  a  letter 
of  recommendation  to  Governor  Fenton.  It  was  suggested  to  me 
at  Washington  that  I  should  place  my  case  before  him,  and  if  I  con- 
clude to  do  so,  such  a  note  from  you  will  be  of  great  value. 

I  learn  through  Captain  Downing  that  I  was  commissioned  a 
first  lieutenant  upon  your  recommendation  soon  after  my  capture. 
If  so,  I  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  acknowledge  my  deep 
appreciation  of  the  favor,  and  to  thank  you  very  cordially  for  remem- 
bering me  at  a  time  when  I  was  entirely  dependent  upon  your  im- 
partial decisions  for  proper  advancement  in  your  command. 

I  made  my  escape  from  the  rebel  prison  at  Columbia,  South 
Carolina,  November  twenty-sixth,  1864,  was  recaptured  December 
fifteenth  by  a  Confederate  outpost  near  Springfield,  Georgia ;  escaped 
a  second  time  the  following  day  and  was  retaken  by  a  detachment 
of  Texan  cavalry  under  General  Wheeler ;  was  tried  as  a  spy  at 
Springfield  ;  escaped  a  third  time  from  Sylvania  on  the  nineteenth  , 
of  December,  and  reached  the  Federal  lines  near  Savannah,  four 
days  later,  and  twenty-eight  days  after  the  escape  from  Columbia. 
I  was  at  General  Kilpatrick's  headquarters  on  the  Ogeechee,  Decem- 
ber twenty-sixth.  The  general  was  in  the  most  exuberant  spirits, 
and  entertained  me  with  stories  of  the  great  march  from  Atlanta  to 
the  sea.  He  desired  to  be  remembered  to  all  the  officers  and  men 
of  his  old  cavalry  division  in  Virginia. 

I  expect  to  muster  out  of  service  to-day,  and  if  so,  shall  start  this 
evening  for  my  home  in  Northern  New  York,  which  I  have  not 
visited  since  entering  the  army  three  years  ago. 


COLONEL  CLARENCE  BUEL.  297 

Soliciting  a  response  at  your  earliest  convenience, 
I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  Colonel, 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 
WILLARD  GLAZIER. 

Impatient  of  delay  in  the  gratification  of  his  ardent 
and  patriotic  desire  to  rejoin  the  army,  Glazier  also 
addressed  an  earnest  letter  to  Hon.  M.  I.  Townsend, 
of  his  native  State,  accompanying  it  with  the  following 
glowing  testimonial  from  his  late  superior  officer  and 
companion  in  arms,  Colonel  Clarence  Buel : 

SARATOGA  SPRINGS,  NEW  YORK,  \ 
February  14th,  1865.  / 

HON.  MARTIN  I.  TOWNSEND: 

DEAR  SIR:  It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  I  introduce  to  your 
acquaintance  my  friend  Lieutenant  Willard  Glazier.  He  entered 
the  service  as  a  private  in  my  company  in  the  "Harris  Light 
Cavalry,"  and  was  promoted  for  services  in  the  field  to  his  present 
rank.  I  considered  him  one  of  the  very  best  and  most  promising 
young  officers  whom  I  knew,  and  his  career  has  only  strengthened 
my  opinion  of  his  merits.  After  a  period  of  long  and  gallant  ser- 
vice in  the  field  he  had  the  misfortune  to  be  taken  prisoner  in  a 
desperate  cavalry  fight,  and  he  has  but  recently  returned  home  after 
escaping  from  a  terrible  confinement  of  more  than  a  year  in  the 
prison  pens  at  Richmond,  Danville,  Macon,  Savannah,  Charleston, 
and  Columbia.  I  wish  you  would  take  time  to  hear  the  modest 
recital  which  he  makes  of  his  experience  in  Southern  prisons,  and 
of  his  escape;  and  I  feel  sure  you  will  agree  with  me,  that  he  is 
worthy  of  any  interest  you  may  take  in  him. 

He  is  desirous  of  re-entering  the  service  as  soon  as  he  can  procure 
a  commission  in  any  way  equal  to  his  deserts;  and  I  told  him  that 
I  knew  of  no  one  who  could  give  him  more  valuable  aid  than  your- 
self in  his  patriotic  purpose.  I  do  most  cordially  commend  him  to 
your  consideration,  and  shall  esteem  anything  you  may  do  for  him 
as  a  great  personal  favor.  With  very  sincere  regards, 

I  am,  your  obedient  friend  and  servant, 
CLARENCE  BUEL. 

Hon.  Martin  I.  Townsend,  on  receipt  of  Colonel 
Duel's  flattering  introduction,  at  once  interested  him- 


298  SWORD   AND   PEX. 

self  in  Glazier's  behalf;  and  after  fully  investigating 
his  previous  record  handed  him  the  following  to  the 
Governor  of  New  York  State : 

TROY,  NEW  YORK,  ) 
February  lolh,  1865.   J 

His  EXCELLENCY  R.  E.  FENTON,  Governor  of  New  York  : 

DEAR  SIR  :  Willard  Glazier,  late  of  the  "  Harris  Light  Cavalry," 
and  who  served  with  honor  as  a  lieutenant  in  that  regiment,  is  a 
most  excellent  young  patriot,  and  has  many  well-wishers  in  our  city. 
He  desires  to  enter  the  service  again.  1  take  the  liberty  to  solicit 
for  him  a  commission.  No  appointment  would  be  more  popular 
here,  and  I  undertake  to  say,  without  hesitation,  that  I  know  of  no 
more  deserving  young  officer.  His  heart  was  always  warm  in  the 
service,  and  he  now  has  fifteen  months  of  most  barbarous  cruelty, 
practised  on  him  while  a  prisoner,  to  avenge. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 
MARTIN  I.  TOWNSENP. 

His  former  commanders,  Generals  H.  E.  Davies  and 
Judsou  Kilpatrick,  also  bore  their  willing  testimony  to 
the  qualifications  and  merits  of  our  young  subaltern  in 
the  following  handsome  manner : 

HEADQUARTERS,  FIRST  BRIGADE,  CAVALRY  DIVISION, 
NEAR  CULPEPPER,  VA., 

February  16^,1865. 
To  His  EXCELLENCY  HON.  R.  E.  FENTON  : 

Lieutenant  Willard  Glazier,  formerly  of  the  Second  New  York 
Cavalry,  served  in  the  regiment  under  my  immediate  command,  for 
more  than  two  years,  until  his  capture  by  the  enemy. 

He  joined  the  regiment  as  an  enlisted  man,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  with  courage  and  ability,  and  for  good  conduct  was  recom- 
mended for  and  received  a  commission  as  second  lieutenant.  As 
an  officer  he  did  his  duty  well,  and  on  several  occasions  behaved 
with  great  gallantry,  and  with  good  judgment.  Owing  to  a  long 
imprisonment,  I  learn  he  has  been  rendered  supernumerary  in  his 
regiment,  and  mustered  out  of  service.  I  can  recommend  him 
highly  as  an  officer,  and  as  well  worthy  to  receive  a  commission. 

Very  respectfully, 

H.  E.  DAVIES,  JR., 
Brigadier-General  U.  S.  Volunteers 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  299 

HEADQUARTERS  CAVALRY  COMMAND,  M.  D.  M.,  \ 
NEAR  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA,  December  21th,  1864.  J 
LIEUTENANT  WILLARD  GLAZIER, 

Harris  Light  Cavalry : 

LIEUTENANT  :  I  take  great  pleasure  in  expressing  to  you  my 
high  appreciation  of  your  many  soldierly  qualities.  I  well  remem- 
ber the  fact  that  you  were  once  a  private  in  the  old  regiment  I 
had  the  honor  to  command ;  and  that  by  attention  to  duty  and  good 
conduct  alone,  you  received  promotion.  You  have  my  best  wishes 
for  your  future  advancement,  and  may  command  my  influence  at 
all  times.  Very  respectfully  and  truly  yours, 

JUDSON  KlLPATRICK, 

Brigadier-General,  U.  S.  Volunteers. 

His  application  was  crowned  with  success,  and  upon 
the  twenty-fifth  of  February,  1865,  he  received  his 
commission  as  First  Lieutenant  in  the  Twenty-sixth 
Regiment, New  York  Cavalry. 

Not  until  this  important  matter  was  satisfactorily 
arranged  would  our  young  lieutenant  turn  his  face  to- 
wards home.  He  had  been  absent  about  three  years, 
and  a  report  had  reached  his  'family  that  he  had  died 
in  prison  at  Columbia. 

With  his  commission  in  his  pocket,  he  now  allowed 
thoughts  of  home  to  occupy  his  mind,  and  proceeded 
thither  without  the  loss  of  a  moment.  On  reaching 
the  homestead  which  had  been  the  scene  of  his  birth, 
and  of  the  adventures  of  his  boyhood,  he  knocked  and 
entered,  and  his  mother  met  him  at  the  threshold. 
Three  years  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  nineteen, 
especially  after  vicissitudes  and  sufferings  such  as  he 
had  endured,  effect  changes  in  the  features  and  height 
and  general  appearance,  much  more  pronounced  than 
a  similar  interval  would  produce  at  a  later  or  an  earlier 
period  of  life.  The  mother  did  not  recognize  her  son; 
and  seeing  this,  he  did  not  announce  himself,  but  in- 
quired if  any  news  had  recently  been  received  of  her 


300  SWORD   AND   PEN. 

son  Willard,  who,  he  said,  was  in  the  same  regiment 
as  himself.  She  answered  that  her  son  was  dead — she 
had  seen  his  name  in  the  death-record  of  the  prison  of 
Columbia,  and  asked  earnestly  concerning  him.  By 
this  time  his  sister  Marjorie,  with  three  years  added  to 
her  stature,  but  still  in  her  teens,  entered  the  room, 
and,  looking  fixedly  at  the  stranger's  solemn  counte- 
nance, exclaimed,  with  a  thrilling  outcry:  "  Why,  that's 
Will!"  The  spell  was  broken,  and  mother  and  son, 
sister  and  brother,  amid  smiles  and  sobs,  embraced,  and 
the  young  soldier,  "who  was  dead  and  is  alive,"  was 
welcomed  to  the  fond  hearts  of  those  who  had  grieved 
over  his  loss. 

Filial  and  fraternal  love  was  a  trait  in  Glazier's 
character  which  claims  a  few  words.  A  dutiful  son 
and  an  affectionate  brother,  he  had  never  neglected  an 
opportunity  of  assisting  and  furthering  the  interests  of 
his  family.  Before  entering  the  army  he  had  con- 
tributed of  his  scant  earnings  as  a  teacher  towards  the 
education  of  his  three  sisters,  and  during  his  service 
in  the  war  had,  from  time  to  time,  as  he  received  his 
pay,  made  remittances  home  for  the  same  unselfish 
purpose.  On  being  mustered  out  of  the  army,  the 
government  had  paid  him  the  sum  of  $500,  and  this 
sum  he  now  generously  handed  over  to  his  parents  to  be 
also  expended  in  perfecting  the  education  of  his  sisters. 

Lieutenant  Glazier  now  hastened  to  report  himself 
to  the  commanding  officer  of  his  regiment,  and  dis- 
played all  his  wonted  energy  and  devotion  to  the  cause 
of  the  Union.  He  served  faithfully  and  honorably 
until  the  mighty  hosts  of  the  Federal  array  melted 
back  into  quiet  citizenship,  with  nothing  to  distinguish 
them  from  other  citizens  but  their  sears  and  the  proud 


A  NEW  CAREER.  301 

consciousness  of  having  SERVED  AND  SAVED  THEIK 

COUNTRY. 

This  brief  history  of  the  military  career  of  a  remark- 
able man  would  not  be  complete  without  some  account 
of  his  life  subsequent  to  the  dissolution  of  the  great 
army  of  volunteers.  Willard  Glazier's  conduct  as  a 
soldier  formed  an  earnest  of  his  future  good  citizenship 
— his  devotion  to  duty  at  the  front,  a  foreshadow  of  his 
enterprise  and  success  in  the  business  of  life. 

Having  been  honorably  mustered  out,  he  lost  no 
time  in  looking  about  for  an  occupation.  Joining  the 
volunteer  army  when  a  mere  youth,  his  opportunities 
of  learning  a  profession  had  been  very  limited,  and  he 
consequently  now  found  himself  without  any  permanent 
means  of  support.  His  education  had  been  necessarily 
interrupted  by  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  his 
chief  anxiety,  now  that  the  struggle  was  over,  was  to 
enter  college  and  complete  his  studies. 

This  desire  was  very  intense  in  our  young  citizen- 
soldier,  and  absorbed  all  his  thoughts;  but  where  to 
find  the  means  for  its  accomplishment  he  was  at  a  loss 
to  discover.  In  ponderings  upon  this  subject  from 
day  to  day,  an  idea  suddenly  occurred  to  him,  which 
formed  an  epoch  in  his  life,  and  the  development  of 
which  has  proved  it  to  have  been  the  basis  of  a  suc- 
cessful and  useful  career.  The  idea  that  has  borne 
fruit  was  this:  During  the  period  of  his  service  in  the 
war  he  had  kept  a  diary.  Herein  he  had  recorded  his 
experiences  from  day  to  day,  adding  such  brief  com- 
ments as  the  events  called  for,  and  time  and  oppor- 
tunity permitted.  This  diary  he  always  kept  upon  his 
person,  and  while  on  a  long  and  hurried  march,  or  iu 


302  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

a  battle  with  the  enemy,  his  vade  mecum  would  be, 
of  necessity,  occasionally  neglected,  no  sooner  did  the 
opportunity  offer  than  his  mind  wandered  back  over 
the  few  days'  interval  since  the  previous  entry,  and 
each  event  of  interest  was  duly  chronicled.  Again 
during  the  period  of  his  confinement  in  Southern 
prisons,  sick,  and  subjected  to  most  inhuman  treat- 
ment and  privation,  and  while  escaping  from  his  brutal 
captors,  concealed  in  the  swamps  during  the  day,  tired, 
hungry,  and  cold,  his  diary  was  never  forgotten,  albeit, 
the  entries  were  frequently  made  under  the  greatest 
difficulties,  such  as  to  most  men  would  have  proved 
insurmountable. 

This  journal  was  now  in  his  possession.  He  had 
stirred  the  souls  of  relatives  and  friends  by  reading 
from  it  accounts  of  bloody  scenes  through  which  he 
had  passed  ;  of  cruelties  practised  upon  him  and  his 
brother-patriots  in  Southern  bastiles;  of  his  various 
attempts  to  escape,  and  pursuit  by  blood-hounds  and 
their  barbarous  masters.  The  story  of  his  war  ex- 
periences entranced  hundreds  of  eager  listeners  around 
his  home,  and  the  idea  that  now  occurred  to  him,  while 
anxiously  pondering  the  ways  and  means  of  paying 
his  college  fees,  was,  that  his  story  might  possibly,  by 
the  aid  of  his  diary,  be  arranged  in  the  form  of  a 
book,  and  if  he  were  fortunate  enough  to  find  a  sale  for 
it,  the  profits  would  probably  furnish  the  very  thing 
he  stood  so  much  in  need  of. 

Prompt  in  everything,  the  thought  no  sooner  occurred 
to  the  young  candidate  for  college  honors  than  he  pro- 
ceeded to  reduce  it  to  action.  He  forthwith  com- 
menced arranging  the  facts  and  dates  from  the  diary; 
constructed  sentences  in  plain  Saxon  English;  the 


LITERARY  WORK.  303 

work  grew  upon  him ;  he  "  fought  his  battles  o'er 
again;"  was  again  captured,  imprisoned  and  escaped; 
the  work  continued  to  grow,  and  at  the  end  of  six 
weeks'  hard  application,  always  keeping  his  object  in 
view,  Willard  Glazier,  the  young  cavalryman,  found 
himself  an  author — i.  e.,  in  manuscript. 

Not  a  little  surprised  and  gratified  to  discover  that 
he  possessed  the  gift  of  putting  his  thoughts  in  a 
readable  form,  he  now  felt  hopeful  that  the  day  was 
not  distant  when  the  desire  of  his  soul  to  enter  col- 
lege would  be  realized. 
23 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

CAREER   AS    AN    AUTHOR. 

Glazier  in  search  of  a  publisher  for  "  Capture,  Prison-Pen  and  Es- 
cape."— Spends  his  last  dollar. — Lieutenant  Richardson  a  friend 
in  need. — Joel  Munsell,  of  Albany,  consents  to  publish. — The 
author  solicits  subscriptions  for  his  work  before  publication. — 
Succeeds. — Captain  Hampton. — R.  H.  Ferguson. — Captain  F.  C. 
Lord. — Publication  and  sale  of  first  edition. — Great  success. — 
Pays  his  publisher  in  full. — Still  greater  successes. — Finally 
attains  an  enormous  sale. — Style  of  the  work. — Extracts. — 
Opinions  of  the  press. 

STILL  very  young,  and  knowing  nothing  of  the 
trade  of  the  Publisher,  Glazier  found  his  way  to 
the  Empire  City,  and,  manuscript  in  hand,  presented 
himself  before  some  of  her  leading  publishers — among 
them,  the  Harpers,  Appletons,  Carleton,  Sheldon  and 
others. 

To  these  gentlemen  he  showed  his  manuscript,  and 
received  courteous  recognition  from  each;  but  the 
terms  they  offered  were  not  of  a  character  to  tempt 
him.  They  would  publish  his  book  and  pay  him  a 
small  royalty  on  their  sales.  His  faith  in  his  manuscript 
led  him  to  expect  more  substantial  results.  The  sub- 
ject of  the  work  was  one  of  absorbing  interest  at  the 
time,  and  if  he  had  handled  it  properly,  he  knew  the 
book  must  meet  with  a  commensurate  sale.  He  there- 
fore determined,  if  possible,  to  find  a  publisher  willing 
to  make  it  to  his  order,  and  leave  him  to  manipulate 
the  sale  himself.  He  was  already  in  possession  of  many 
(304) 


ARTHUR  RWHARDSON.  305 

unsolicited  orders  for  it,  and  although  knowing  noth- 
ing of  the  subscription-book  business,  determined  that, 
when  printed,  his  book  should  be  brought  out  by  sub- 
scription. 

Meanwhile,  he  was,  unfortunately,  like  many  incip- 
ient authors,  without  capital,  and  could  not  there- 
fore remain  longer  in  New  York  for  lack  of  means, 
having  literally  nothing  left  wherewith  to  defray  even 
his  board  or  procure  a  lodging.  He  was,  consequently, 
compelled  to  leave  if  he  could  obtain  the  means  of 
doing  so.  He  had  arrived  in  New  York  with  sanguine 
expectations  of  readily  meeting  with  a  publisher,  but 
discovered,  from  bitter  experience,  as  many  others 
have  done,  that  authors  and  publishers  not  unfre- 
queutly  view  their  interests  from  divergent  points. 
Courteous  but  cool,  they  offered  the  unknown  author 
little  encouragement,  who,  but  for  this,  would  have 
made  the  metropolis  the  starting-point  in  his  success- 
ful literary  career. 

At  this  juncture  he  called  on  Lieutenant  Arthur 
Richardson,  an  old  comrade  of  the  "  Harris  Light," 
who  had  also  been  his  fellow-prisoner,  and  was  then 
residing  in  New  York.  To  him  he  confided  his  diffi- 
culty in  finding  a  publisher  for  his  book,  and  his 
extremely  straitened  circumstances,  at  the  same  time 
stating  his  strong  wish  to  return,  if  possible,  to  Albany, 
where  he  was  known.  Without  ceremony  and  without 
conditions  Richardson  generously  handed  him  twenty 
dollars,  and,  with  this  godsend  in  hand,  Glazier  at  once 
returned  to  Albany. 

Arrived  in  the  capital  of  his  native  State,  he  lost  no 
time  in  calling  on  the  bookmen  of  that  city,  and  among 
them,  fortunately,  on  Mr.  Joel  Munsell,  of  82  State 


306  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Street.  This  gentleman,  well  known  for  his  learning 
and  probity  throughout  the  State,  and  far  beyond  its 
limits,  combined  the  profession  of  an  author  with  the 
more  lucrative  one  of  publisher  and  bookseller,  and  was 
pre-eminently  in  good  standing  as  a  worthy  citizen  and 
man  of  business. 

Glazier  introduced  himself,  and  once  more  produced 
his  fateful  manuscript  for  inspection.  Mr.  Munsell 
glanced  at  it  through  his  glasses,  and  candidly  admitted 
the  subject  to  be  one  of  great  interest,  adding  that  he 
also  thought  the  manuscript  was  carefully  written,  and 
spoke  in  general  complimentary  terms  of  the  author 
and  his  production. 

Glazier,  elated  with  this  praise,  at  once  asked  to  have 
the  work  stereotyped  and  made  into  a  book  of  some 
four  hundred  pages,  with  ten  illustrations.  Mr.  Mun- 
sell would  be  only  too  ready  to  fill  the  order,  but 
politely  suggested,  as  a  preliminary  condition,  an 
advance  of  two  hundred  dollars !  Our  author  modestly 
confessed,  without  hesitation,  that  he  was  not  worth 
two  hundred  cents;  had  no  means  of  obtaining  such  a 
sum,  and  could  therefore  advance  nothing.  The  worthy 
old  gentleman  was  startled,  and  answered  that  such 
was  the  custom  of  the  trade.  He  then  inquired  if 
Glazier  had  any  friends  who  would  endorse  a  note  for 
the  amount  at  thirty  days.  The  reply  was  that  he  had 
none;  that  he  would  exert  himself  to. obtain  a  small  sum 
from  army  friends,  and  if  he  succeeded,  would  hand  it 
over  to  him;  that  his  only  capital  at  present  was 
his  conduct  and  character  as  a  soldier,  for  testimony  to 
which  he  would  refer  to  his  late  commanding  officer, 
"and,"  he  added,  "faith  in  the  success  of  my  book." 
He  further  offered  to  solicit  subscriptions  for  the  book 
himself  before  publication,  and  report  the  result  to  the 
publisher. 


JOEL  MUNSELL.  307 

Mr.  Munsell,  pleased  with  his  appearance  and  ingenu- 
ousness, hinted  at  the  purchase  of  the  manuscript,  but 
the  proposal  being  respectfully  declined,  inquired,  if  the 
writer  undertook  to  sell  the  book  himself,  would  he 
"stick  to  it."  "Yes!"  was  the  emphatic  answer, 
"  until  everything  is  fully  paid  for." 

The  reply  of  Munsell  was  equally  prompt  and 
decisive:  "I  have  never  in  all  the  years  I  have  been 
in  business  published  a  work  under  such  circumstances, 
but  I  will  get  that  book  out  for  you"  Glazier  thanked 
the  worthy  man,  and  expressed  a  hope  that  he  would 
never  have  occasion  to  regret  his  generous  deed ;  he 
would  place  the  manuscript  in  his  hands  forthwith. 

He  then  set  out  to  solicit  subscriptions  for  hi& 
work,  and  without  prospectus,  circular,  or  any  of  the 
usual  paraphernalia  of  a  solicitor — with  nothing  but 
his  own  unsupported  representations  of  the  quality  of 
his  projected  book,  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  very 
considerable  number  of  orders.  These  he  hastened 
to  hand  over  to  Joel  Munsell,  who  was  now  con- 
firmed in  his  good  opinion  of  the  writer,  and  the 
promising  character  of  the  venture. 

Thus  our  young  soldier-author  was  fortunate  enough 
to  find  a  publisher  and  a  friend  in  need.  A  contract 
was  drawn  up,  and  feeling  that  his  prospects  were  now 
somewhat  assured,  he  ventured  to  write  to  his  comrade, 
and  late  fellow-prisoner,  Captain  Hampton,  of  Ro- 
chester, New  York,  for  the  loan  of  fifty  dollars.  This 
sum  was  promptly  sent  him,  and  he  at  once  handed  it 
over  to  his  publisher.  Mr.  B>.  H.  Ferguson,  late  of 
the  "  Harris  Light,"  also  generouslv  came  forward  to 
the  assistance  of  his  former  comrade  and  tent-mate,  and 
advanced  him  one  hundred  dollars  to  helo  on  the 
work. 


308  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

It  may  be  stated  here,  that  the  friendship  of  Fergu- 
son and  Glazier  dated  from  before  the  war,  while  the 
latter,  a  mere  youth,  was  teaching  school  near  Troy, 
in  Rensselaer  County,  New  York  :  that  together,  on  the 
summons  to  arms,  they  enlisted  in  the  Harris  Light 
Cavalry;  together  went  to  the  seat  of  war;  that  both 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels  and  had  experience 
of  Southern  prisons ;  and  that  both  effected  their  es- 
cape after  the  endurance  of  much  suffering.  Finally, 
their  friendship  and  common  career  resulted  in  a  busi- 
ness connection  which  was  attended  with  considerable 
success,  Mr.  Ferguson  having  become  the  publisher 
of  some  of  Captain  Glazier's  subsequent  writings. 
Captain  Frederick  C.  Lord,  of  Naugatuck,  Connecticut, 
also  contributed  to  Glazier's  need,  and  enabled  him  by 
the  opportune  loan  of  twenty-five  dollars  to  defray  his 
board  bill  while  waiting  anxiously  upon  Munsell  in 
the  reading  of  proofs,  and  soliciting  subscriptions  in 
advance. 

To  return  to  the  first  work  of  our  young  author,  now 
in  the  hands  of  Joel  Munsell,  of  Albany,  which 
was  entitled  "  The  Capture,  Prison-Pen  and  Escape ; " 
the  first  edition  consisted  of  five  hundred  copies,  which 
Glazier  by  his  energy  disposed  of  in  a  few  days,  hand- 
ing over  the  proceeds  to  the  publisher.  At  the  end  of 
six  mouths  he  had  called  for  several  editions  of  his 
book,  and  sold  them  all  through  the  instrumentality 
of  solicitors  selected  by  himself,  some  of  them  maimed 
soldiers  of  the  war,  paid  Mr.  Munsell  in  full,  and  had 
himself  three  thousand  dollars  in  hand.  Success  is  the 
mother  of  success. 

Having  prospered  thus  far  beyond  his  expectations, 
he  was  anxious  to  add  to  his  store.  Visions  of  large 


"  CAPTURE,  PRISON-PEN  AND  ESCAPE:'     309 

sales  over  other  territory  than  his  native  State  of  New 
York  presented  themselves  to  his  eager  mind;  the 
book  was  purchased  by  the  public  as  soon  as  it  was 
published  ;  reviewers  spoke  in  enthusiastic  praise  of 
its  merits.  It  was  not  a  pretentious  work — the  author 
was  simply  a  young  man  and  a  patriot.  But  passages 
of  great  beauty  and  of  painful  interest  pervaded  it,  al- 
ternated with  vivid  descriptions  of  battles  in  which  the 
writer  had  himself  shared.  A  veteran  author  need  not 
have  been  ashamed  of  many  of  its  glowing  pages. 
Lofty  patriotism,  heroic  fortitude,  and  moral  purity, 
characterized  it  throughout. 

The  account  given  of  the  sufferings  of  our  soldiers 
while  in  the  prison-pens  of  the  South,  and  of  his  own 
and  his  comrades'  while  effecting  their  escape  to  the 
Federal  lines,  are  so  vividly  portrayed,  that  our  feel- 
ings are  intensely  enlisted  in  their  behalf,  and  our 
minds  wander  to  their  dreary  abodes — in  thought 
sharing  their  sufferings  and  their  sorrows. 

Encouraged  by  his  success  in  this  new  vocation  our 
young  author  resolved,  for  the  present  at  least,  to  post- 
pone going  to  college,  and  devote  himself  to  the  sale 
of  his  book,  by  the  simple  agency  before  mentioned. 
This  resolution  cannot  be  considered  surprising  when 
we  reflect  upon  the  great  amount  of  prosperity  he  had 
met  with,  and  the  prospect  before  him  of  attaining 
still  greater  advantage  from  a  business  upon  which  he 
had,  by  the  merest  accident,  ventured.  The  college 
scheme  was  at  length  finally  abandoned  as  the  business 
continued  to  increase.  "The  Capture,  Prison-Pen 
and  Escape  "  ultimately  reached  the  enormous  sale  of 
over  four  hundred  thousand  copies;  larger  by  many 
thousands  than  that  most  extensively  circulated  and 


310  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

deservedly  popular  book,  "  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  had 
ever  attained  to,  inclusive  of  its  sale  in  Europe. 

The  first  book  written  and  published  by  Willard 
Glazier  is  of  a  character  to  surprise  us,  when  we  con- 
sider the  antecedents  of  the  writer  up  to  the  date  of  its 
publication,  December,  1865.  Enlisting  in  the  ranks 
of  a  cavalry  regiment  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  during 
the  exciting  period  of  the  civil  war;  a  participant  in 
many  of  its  sanguinary  battles ;  captured  by  the  enemy 
and  imprisoned  under  circumstances  of  the  greatest 
trial  and  discouragement,  his  position  and  surroundings 
were  not  a  very  promising  school  for  the  training  of 
an  author.  The  book  he  produced  is,  in  our  judg- 
ment, not  unworthy  of  comparison  with  the  immortal 
work  of  Defoe,  with  this  qualification  in  our  author's 
favor  that  "Robinson  Crusoe"  is  a  fiction,  while 
Glazier's  is  a  true  story  of  real  adventure  undergone 
by  the  writer  and  his  comrades  of  the  Union  army. 

His  style  in  narrating  his  adventures  is  admirably 
adapted  to  the  subject;  while  the  simple,  unpretentious 
manner  in  which  he  describes  the  terrible  scenes  he 
witnessed,  and  passed  through,  enlists  the  reader's  in- 
terest in  the  work,  and  sympathy  for  the  modest  writer 
himself.  By  the  publication  of  this  book,  Glazier 
stamped  his  name  upon  his  country's  roll  of  honor,  and 
at  the  same  time  laid  the  foundation  of  his  fortune. 

As  a  specimen  of  his  easy  flowing  style  we  give 
part  of  the  opening  chapter  of  "Capture,  Prison-Pen 
and  Escape : " 

"The  first  battle  of  Bull  Run  was  fought  July  twenty- 
first,  1861,  and  the  shock  of  arms  was  felt  throughout 
the  land,  carrying  triumph  to  the  South,  and  to  the 
North  dismay.  Our  proud  and  confident  advance  into 


"CAPTURE,  PRISON-PEN  AND  ESCAPE"       31 1 

'Dixie'  was  not  only  checked,  but  turned  into  a  dis- 
astrous rout.  The  patriotic  but  unwarlike  enthusi- 
asm of  the  country,  which  had  hoped  to  crush  the 
rebellion  with  seventy-five  thousand  men,  was  tempo- 
rarily stifled.  But  the  chilling  was  only  like  that  of 
the  first  stealthy  drops  of  the  thunder-gust  upon  a 
raging  fire,  which  breaks  out  anew  and  with  increased 
vigor  when  the  tempest  fans  it  with  its  fury,  and  now 
burns  in  spite  of  a  deluge  of  rain.  The  chill  had 
passed  and  the  fever  was  raging.  From  the  great  cen- 
tres of  national  life  went  forth  warm  currents  of 
renovating  public  opinion,  which  reached  the  farthest 
hamlet  on  our  frontiers.  Every  true  man  was  grasp- 
ing the  stirring  questions  of  the  day,  and  was 
discussing  them  with  his  family  at  his  own  fireside, 
and  the  rebellion  was  just  as  surely  doomed  as  when 
Grant  received  the  surrender  of  Lee's  army.  In  a 
deeper  and  broader  sense  than  before,  the  country 
was  rising  to  meet  the  emergency,  and  northern 
patriotism,  now  thoroughly  aroused,  was  sweeping 
everything  before  it.  Everywhere  resounded  the  cry, 
*  To  arms ! '  and  thousands  upon  thousands  were  re- 
sponding to  the  President's  call. 

"It  was  under  these  circumstances  that  I  enlisted,  as 
a  private  soldier,  at  Troy,  New  York,  on  the  sixth  day 
of  August,  in  a  company  raised  by  Captain  Clarence 
Buel,  for  the  Second  Regiment  of  New  York  Cavalry. 
It  is  needless  to  make  elaborate  mention  of  the  motives 
which  induced  me  to  enter  the  service,  or  the  emotions 
which  then  filled  my  breast ;  they  can  be  readily  con- 
jectured by  every  loyal  heart." 

The  Press,  throughout  the  North  (and  West,  as  far 
as  its  circulation  had  reached),  spoke  very  highly  of  the 


312  SWOED  AND  PEN. 

production  and  of  its  author,  all  bearing  the  same  tes- 
timony to  its  excellence  and  truthfulness.  The  Albany 
Evening  Post  says : 

'"The  Capture,  Prison-Pen  and  Escape*  is  the  title  of  an  in- 
tensely interesting  work,  giving  a  complete  history  of  prison-life  in 
the  South.  The  book  is  at  once  accurate,  graphic  and  admirably 
written.  It  is  full  of  adventure,  and  quite  as  readable  as  a  romance. 
A  person  who  reads  this  volume  will  have  a  better  idea  of  what  it 
cost  in  the  way  of  blood,  suffering  and  courage,  to  preserve  the  Re- 
public, than  he  can  now  possibly  entertain." 

The  Cleveland  Daily  Leader  writes : 

"  We  have  had  the  pleasure  of  reading  this  book.  It  describes, 
in  the  most  graphic  and  interesting  style,  the  prison-life  of  Union 
soldiers  in  the  South,  their  plans  of  escape,  and  their  various  trials 
and  hardships  there.  The  history  contained  in  the  book  is  very 
valuable.  The  Press,  all  over  the  land,  speaks  very  highly  of  it, 
and  we  can  do  naught  but  add  our  commendations  to  the  rest." 

The  New  York  Reformer  exclaims : 

"  From  the  title-page  to  its  close,  the  volume  is  full  of  fresh  inci- 
dents, attracting  the  reader  on,  from  page  to  page,  with  unbroken, 
though  at  times  with  melancholy,  at  others  indignant,  and  at  others 
wrathful,  interest." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

"THREE  YEARS  IN  THE  FEDERAL  CAVALRY/ 

Another  work  by  Captain  Glazier. — "  Three  Years  in  the  Federal 
Cavalry." — Daring  deeds  of  the  Light  Dragoons. — Extracts  from 
the  work. — Night  attack  on  Falmouth  Heights. — Kilpatrick's 
stratagem. — Flight  of  the  enemy. — Capture  of  Falmouth. — Burial 
of  Lieutenant  Decker. — Incidents  at  "  Brandy  Station." — "  Harris 
Light "  and  "  Tenth  New  York." — "  Men  of  Maine,  you  must 
save  the  day!" — Position  won. — Some  Press  reviews  of  the 
work. 

THE  combined  industry  and  intellect  of  our  soldier- 
author  had,  in  the  meantime,  produced  another 
book  of  equal  merit  with  his  first.  This  he  named, 
"  Three  Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry."  It  is  a  work 
of  thrilling  interest,  and  contains  much  of  history 
relating  to  the  Civil  War,  and  more  especially  to  the 
cavalry  service.  It  was  the  opinion  of  Captain  Gla- 
zier that  the  Union  cavalry  had  never  been  properly 
appreciated,  and  for  this  reason  he  took  up  his  pen  in 
its  defense.  He  narrates  the  daring  deeds  of  our  Light 
Dragoons,  their  brilliant  achievements  during  the  first 
three  eventful  years  of  the  war ;  and  his  own  personal 
experiences  are  pictured  with  a  vividness  of  color  and 
an  enthusiasm  of  manner  which  carry  the  reader 
straight  to  the  field  of  action. 

We  quote  the  following  brief  but  graphic  description 
of  the  opening  of  the  great  Rebellion,  as  a  specimen  of 
the  style  of  this  second  product  of  his  intellect : 

(313) 


314  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

"The  eleventh  of  April,  1861,  revealed  the  real 
intention  of  the  Southern  people  in  their  unprovoked 
assault  upon  Fort  Sumpter.  The  thunder  of  rebel  can- 
non shook  the  air  not  only  around  Charleston,  but  sent 
its  thrilling  vibrations  to  the  remotest  sections  of  the 
country,  and  was  the  precursor  of  a  storm  whose  wrath 
ro  one  anticipated.  This  shock  of  arms  was  like  a 
fire-alarm  in  our  great  cities,  and  the  North  arose  in 
its  might  with  a  grand  unanimity  which  the  South  did 
not  expect.  The  spirit  and  principle  of  rebellion 
were  so  uncaused  and  unprovoked,  that  scarcely 
could  any  one  be  found  at  home  or  abroad  to  justify 
them. 

"  President  Lincoln  thereupon  issued  a  call  for 
seventy-five  thousand  men  to  uphold  and  vindicate  the 
authority  of  the  government,  and  to  prove,  if  possible, 
that  secession  was  not  only  a  heresy  in  doctrine,  but  an 
impracticability  in  the  American  Republic.  The 
response  to  this  call  was  much  more  general  than  the 
most  sanguine  had  any  reason  to  look  for.  The  enthusi- 
asm of  the  people  was  quite  unbounded.  Individuals 
encouraged  individuals;  families  aroused  families; 
communities  vied  with  communities,  and  States  strove 
with  States.  Who  could  be  the  first  and  do  the  most, 
was  the  noble  contention  which  everywhere  prevailed. 
All  political  party  lines  seemed  to  be  obliterated. 
Under  this  renovating  and  inspiring  spirit  the  work 
of  raising  the  nucleus  of  the  grandest  army  that  ever 
swept  a  continent  went  bravely  on.  Regiments  were 
rapidly  organized,  and  as  rapidly  as  possible  sent  for- 
ward to  the  seat  of  government;  and  so  vast  was  the 
number  that  presented  themselves  for  their  country's 
defence,  that  the  original  call  was  soon  more  than 


"THREE   YEARS  IN  THE  CAVALRY,"        315 

filled,  and  the  authorities  found  themselves  unable  to 
accept  many  organizations  which  were  eager  to  press 
into  the  fray. 

"Meanwhile  the  great  leaders  of  the  rebellion  were 
marshalling  the  hordes  of  treason,  and  assembling 
them  on  the  plains  of  Manassas,  with  the  undoubted 
intention  of  moving  upon  the  national  capital.  This 
point  determined  the  principal  theatre  of  the  opening 
contest,  and  around  it  on  every  side,  and  particularly 
southward,  was  to  be  the  aceldama  of  America,  the 
dreadful  (  field  of  blood/ 

"The  first  great  impulse  of  the  authorities  was  in 
the  direction  of  self-defence,  and  Washington  was 
fortified  and  garrisoned.  This  done,  it  was  believed 
that  the  accumulating  forces  of  the  Union,  which 
had  become  thoroughly  equipped  and  somewhat  dis- 
ciplined, ought  to  advance  into  the  revolted  Territory, 
scatter  the  defiant  hosts  of  the  enemy,  and  put  a  speedy 
end  to  the  slave-holders'  rebellion." 

Again  we  quote  a  description  of  an  incident  of  the 
cavalry  fight  at  Brandy  Station  : 

"At  a  critical  moment,  when  the  formidable  and 
ever  increasing  hosts  of  the  enemy  were  driving  our 
forces  from  a  desirable  position  we  sought  to  gain,  and 
when  it  seemed  as  though  disaster  to  our  arms  would 
be  fatal,  Kilpatrick's  battle-flag  was  seen  advancing, 
followed  by  the  tried  squadrons  of  the  '  Harris  Light/ 
the  '  Tenth  New  York,'  and  the  '  First  Maine.'  In 
echelons  of  squadrons  his  brigade  was  quickly  formed, 
and  he  advanced,  like  a  storm-cloud,  upon  the  rebel 
cavalry,  which  filled  the  field  before  him.  The  'Tenth 
New  York  '  received  the  first  shock  of  the  rebel  charge, 
but  was  hurled  back,  though  not  in  confusion.  The 
24 


316  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

'  Harris  Light'  met  with  no  better  success,  and,  not- 
withstanding their  prestige  and  power,  they  were  re- 
pulsed under  the  very  eye  of  their  chief,  whose  excite- 
ment at  the  scene  was  well-nigh  uncontrollable.  His 
flashing  eye  now  turned  to  the  'First  Maine,'  a  regi- 
ment composed  mostly  of  heavy,  sturdy  men,  who  had 
not  been  engaged  as  yet  during  the  day;  and,  riding  to 
the  head  of  the  column,  he  shouted,  'Men  of  Maine, 
you  must  save  the  day!  Follow  me!'  With  one  si- 
multaneous war-cry  these  giants  of  the  North  moved 
forward  in  one  solid  mass  upon  the  flank  of  the  rebel 
columns.  The  shock  was  overwhelming,  and  the  op- 
posing lines  crumbled  like  a  '  bowing  wall'  before  this 
wild  rush  of  prancing  horses,  gleaming  sabres,  and 
rattling  balls. 

"On  rode  Kilpatrick,  with  the  '  men  of  Maine,'  and, 
on  meeting  the  two  regiments  of  his  brigade,  which  had 
been  repulsed,  and  were  returning  from  the  front,  the 
General's  voice  rang  out  like  trumpet  notes,  above  the 
din  of  battle,  '  Back,  the  "  Harris  Light !"  Back,  the 
"Tenth  New  York!"  Reform  your  squadrons  and 
charge!'  With  magical  alacrity  the  order  was  obeyed, 
and  the  two  regiments,  which  had  been  so  humbled  by 
their  first  reverse,  now  rushed  into  the  fight  with  a 
spirit  and  success  which  redeemed  them  from  censure, 
and  accounted  them  worthy  of  their  gallant  leader.  The 
commanding  position  was  won  ;  a  battery,  lost  in  a 
previous  charge,  was  re-captured,  and  an  effectual  blow 
was  given  to  the  enemy,  which  greatly  facilitated  the 
movements  which  followed." 

From  numerous  press  notices,  eulogistic  of  this 
work,  which  appeared  shortly  after  its  publication,  we 
select  the  following  from  the  Chicago  Times: 


"THREE   YEARS  IX  THE  CAVALRY."        317 

"  For  the  thousands  of  warriors  who  entered  upon  life  too  late  to 
participate  in  the  war  of  the  rebellion  ;  for  the  thousands  who  en- 
tered upon  life  too  soon  to  be  permitted  a  sight  of  its  glorious  and 
hideous  scenes;  for  the  thousands  who  snuffed  the  smoke  of  battle 
Irom  afar ;  no  better  book  could  have  been  produced  than  this 
'Three  Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry.'  ...  It  tells  them  in 
thrilling  and  glowing  language  of  the  most  exciting  phases  of  the 
contests.  .  .  .  It  is  a  book  that  will  thrill  the  heart  of  every  old 
soldier  who  reads  its  historic  pages.  .  .  .  The  author  carries 
his  readers  into  every  scene  which  he  depicts.  Throughout  the 
book  one  is  impressed  with  the  idea  that  hje  saw  all  that  he  de- 
scribes. .  .  .  The  triumphs,  the  despondencies,  the  sufferings, 
the  joys  of  the  troops,  are  feelingly  and  vigorously  painted.  .  .  . 
His  book  is  a  noble  tribute  to  the  gallant  horsemen,  who  have  too 
often  been  overlooked." 

The  Syracuse  Herald  remarks  : 

"Among  the  newest,  and  we  may  truly  say  the  best  of  the  books 
on  the  civil  war,  is  a  work  by  the  widely-known  author,  Captain 
Willard  Glazier,  entitled  '  Three  Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry.' 
.  .  .  Its  pages  teem  with  word-painting  of  hair-breadth  escapes, 
of  marches,  of  countermarches,  bivouacs  and  battles  without  num- 
ber. Stirring  memories  of  Brandy  Station,  Chantilly,  Antietam, 
Fredericksburg,  Yorktown,  Falmouth  and  Gettysburg,  are  roused  by 
the  masterly  raconteur,  until  in  October,  1864,  just  beyond  New  Bal- 
timore, the  gallant  captain  was  captured,  and  for  a  year  languished 
in  '  durance  vile.'  The  interest  in  the  narrative  never  flags,  but 
rather  increases  with  each  succeeding  page.  For  those  who  love  to 
fight  their  battles  o'er  again,  or  those  who  love  to  read  of  war's 
alarms,  this  volume  will  prove  most  welcome." 

The  New  York  Tribune  is 

"Sure  that  'Three  Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry'  will  meet  with 
the  same  generous  reception  from  the  reading  public  that  has  been 
given  to  the  former  works  of  this  talented  young  author.  The  fact 
that  Captain  Glazier  was  an  eye-witness  and  participant  in  the 
thrilling  scenes  of  which  he  writes,  lends  additional  interest  to  the 
work." 


318  SWOED  AND  PEN. 

The  New  York  Star  says  : 

'"Three  Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry'  brings  to  light  many 
daring  deeds  upon  the  part  of  the  Union  heroes,  thai  have  never  yet 
been  recorded,  and  gives  an  insight  into  the  conduct  of  the  war 
which  historians,  who  write  but  do  not  fight,  couUl  not  possibly  give. 
It  is  full  of  incident,  and  one  of  the  most  interesting  books  upon  the 
war  that  we  have  read." 

From  the  New  York  Globe  we  cull  the  following : 

"  To  a  returned  soldier  nothing  is  more  welcome  than  conversation 
touching  his  experience  '  in  the  field '  with  his  companions,  and  next 
to  this  a  good  book  written  by  one  who  has  known  '  how  it  is  himself,' 
and  who  recounts  vividly  the  scenes  of  strife  through  which  he  has 
passed.  Such  a  work  is  'Three  Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry.' 
Captain  Glazier's  experiences  are  portrayed  in  a  manner  at  once  in- 
teresting to  the  veteran,  and  instructive  and  entertaining  to  those 
who  have  but  snuffed  the  battle  from  afar.  An  old  soldier  will 
never  drop  this  book  for  an  instant,  if  he  once  begins  it,  until  every 
word  has  been  read.  There  is  an  air  of  truth  pervading  every  page 
which  chains  the  veteran  to  it  until  lie  is  stared  in  the  face  with 
'Finis.'  The  details  and  influences  of  camp-life,  the  preparations 
for  active  duty,  the  weary  marches  to  the  battle-field,  the  bivouac  at 
night,  the  fierce  hand-to-hand  strife,  the  hospital,  the  dying  volun- 
teer, the  dead  one — buried  in  his  blanket  by  the  pale  light  of  the 
moon,  far,  far  away  from  those  he  loves — the  defeat  and  victory — 
every  scene,  in  fact,  familiar  to  the  eye  and  ear  of  the  '  boy  in  blue,' 
is  here  most  truthfully  and  clearly  photographed,  and  the  soldier  is 
once  more  transported  back  to  the  days  of  the  rebellion.  Captain 
Glazier's  style  is  easy  and  explicit.  He  makes  no  endeavor  to  be 
poetic  or  eloquent,  but  tells  his  story  in  a  straightforward  manner, 
occasionally,  however,  approaching  eloquence  in  spite  of  himself. 
\Ve  cheerfully  and  earnestly  commend  'Three  Years  in  the  Federal 
Cavalry '  to  the  public  as  a.  most  readable,  entertaining  and 
instructive  volume." 

Among  the  manifold  testimonials  we  have  seen  to 
the  merits  of  this  work,  the  following  from  the  poetic 
pen  of  Mrs.  Maud  Louise  Braincrd,  of  Elmira,  New 
York,  is  at  once  beautiful  and  eloquent  of  praise,  and 


320  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

must  not  therefore  be  omitted  from  the  chaplet  we  are 
weaving  for  the  brow  of  the  'soldier-author:' 

*Have  you  heard  of  our  Union  Cavalry, 

As  Glazier  tells  the  story? 
Of  the  dashing  boys  of  the  '  Cavalry  Corps,' 
And  their  daring  deeds  of  glory  ? 

"This  modest  volume  holds  it  all, 
Their  brave  exploits  revealing, 
Told  as  a  comrade  tells  the  tale, 
With  all  a  comrade's  feeling. 

"  The  Union  camp-fires  blaze  anew, 

Upon  these  faithful  pages, 

Anew  we  tremble  while  we  read 

How  hot  the  warfare  rages. 

"  We  hear  again  the  shock  of  arms, 

The  cannon's  direful  thunder, 
And  feel  once  more  the  wild  suspense 
That  then  our  hearts  throbbed  under. 

"  The  deeds  of  heroes  live  again 

Amid  the  battle  crashes, 
As,  Phoenix-like,  the  dead  take  form 
And  rise  from  out  their  ashes. 

"  Where  darkest  hangs  the  cloud  and  smoka 

Where  weaker  men  might  falter, 
The  brave  Phil  Kearney  lays  his  life 
Upon  his  country's  altar. 

"  Kilpatrick's  legions  thunder  by, 

With  furious  clang  and  clatter, 
Gushing  where  duty  sternly  leads, 
To  life  or  death — no  matter ! 

'''  Oh,  hero-warriors,  patriots  true ! 
Within  your  graves  now  lying, 
How  bright  on  History's  page  to-day 
Shines  out  your  fame  undying ! 


"THREE  YEARS  IN  THE  CAVALRY."         321 

"The  pomp  and  panoply  of  war 

Have  vanished  ;  all  the  ghtter 
Of  charging  columns,  marching  hosts 
And  battles  long  and  bitter, 

"Recede  with  the  receding  years, 

Wrapped  in  old  Time's  dim  shadow; 

Where  once  the  soil  drank  patriot  goie. 

Green,  now,  grow  field  and  meadow. 

"  But  here  the  written  record  stands 

Of  all  that  time  of  glory, 
And  bright  through  every  age  shall  live 
These  names  in  song  and  story. 

"  Willard  (j  lazier  wrote  his  name 

First  in  war's  deeds,  then  slipping 
His  fingers  oH'  the  sword,  he  found 
The  mightier  pen  more  lilting. 

"Head  but  the  book — 'twill  summon  back 

The  spirits  now  immortal, 
Who  bravely  died  for  fatherland 
And  passed  the  heavenly  portal!" 

Such  was  the  demand  for  the  work  that  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  thousand  copies  of  it  were  sold, 
and  we  may  safely  predicate  that  in  the  homes  of  thou- 
sands of  veterans  scattered  all  over  the  land,  the  book 
has  been  a  source  of  profound  interest  in  the  help  it 
has  afforded  them  in  recounting  to  family  and  friends 
the  thrilling  events  of  their  war  experience. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

"BATTLES  FOII  THE  UNION." 

"  Battles  for  the  Union." — Extracts. — Bull  Run. — Brandy  Station. 
— Manassaa.— Gettysburg. — Pittsburg  Landing.  —  Surrender  of 
General  Lee. — Opinion*  of  the  press. — Philadelphia  "  North 
American." — Pittsburg  "Commercial." — Chicago " Inter-Ocean." 
—  Scranton  "Republican." — Wilkes-Barre  "Record  of  thu 
Times." — Reading  "  Eagle." — Albany  "  Evening  Journal." 

"TJATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION,"— published 
-U  by  Dustin  Oilman  and  Company,  Hartford, 
Connecticut — was  the  next  work  that  emanated  from 
our  soldier  author's  prolific  pen.  The  most  stub- 
bornly contested  battles  of  the  great  Rebellion  herein 
find  forcible  and  picturesque  description.  "I  have  en- 
deavored," Glazier  writes  in  his  preface  to  this  in- 
teresting work,  "  in  'Battles  for  the  Union'  to  present, 
in  the  most  concise  and  simple  form,  the  great  con- 
tests iu  the  war  for  the  preservation  of  the  Republic 
of  the  United  States;"  and  as  evidence  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  this  task  was  undertaken,  we  shall  again 
present  to  the  reader  some  passages  from  the  work 
itself. 

As  an  illustration  of  descriptive  clearness  and  force, 
combined  with  conciseness  and  simplicity  of  narra- 
tive, we  present  the  opening  of  the  chapter  on  Bull 
Run: 

"  The  field  of  Bull  Run  and  the  plains  of  Manassas 
will  never  lose  their  interest  for  the  imaginative  young 
or  the  patriotic  old ;  for  on  this  field  and  over  these 
(322) 


"BATTLES  FOR  THE   UNION."  323 

plains  are  scattered  the  bones  of  more  than  forty 
thousand  brave  men  of  both  North  and  South,  who 
have  met  in  mortal  combat  and  laid  down  their  lives 
in  defence  of  their  principles. 

"On  the  twenty-first  of  July,  1861,  was  fought  the 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  the  first  of  a  long  series  of  engage- 
ments on  these  historic  plains.  The  battles  of  Bristoe, 
Groveton,  Manassas,  Centreville,  and  Chautilly  suc- 
ceeded in  1862,  and  in  the  summer  and  autumn  of 
1863  followed  the  cavalry  actions  at  Aldie,  Middle- 
burg,  Upperville,  and  New  Baltimore. 

"  No  battle-ground  on  the  continent  of  America  can 
present  to  the  generations  yet  to  come  such  a  gigantic 
Roll  of  Honor.  Here  also  was  displayed  the  best 
military  talent,  the  keenest  strategy,  and  the  highest 
engineering  skill  of  our  civil  war.  Here  were  assem- 
bled the  great  representative  leaders  of  slavery  and 
freedom.  Here  Scott,  McDowell,  Pope,  and  Meade 
on  the  Federal  side,  and  Beauregard,  Johnson,  and 
Lee  on  the  Confederate  side,  have  in  turn  held  the 
reins  of  battle  and  shared  both  victory  and  defeat. 

"The  action  which  resulted  in  the  fall  of  Fort 
Sumter  developed  extraordinary  talent  in  the  rebel 
General  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard,  and  brought  him  con- 
spicuously before  the  Confederate  government.  Called 
for  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  Southern  people,  he 
was  now  ordered  to  take  command  of  the  main  portion 
of  the  Confederate  army  in  northern  Virginia.  He 
selected  Manassas  Junction  as  his  base  of  operations, 
and  established  his  outposts  near  Fairfax  Court-House, 
seventeen  miles  from  Washington. 

"Optioral  Beauregard's  forces,  on  the  line  of  Bull 
Run,  numbered  on  the  sixteenth  of  July  nearly  forty 


•$24  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

thousand  men,  and  sixty-four  pieces  of  artillery,  to- 
gether with  a  considerable  body  of  cavalry.  The 
threatening  attitude  of  this  force,  almost  within  sight 
of  the  National  capital,  led  General  Scott  to  concen- 
trate the  Union  forces  in  that  quarter  with  a  view 
to  meeting  the  Confederates  in  battle,  and,  if  possible, 
giving  a  death-blow  to  the  rebellion. 

"  Ludicrous,  indeed,  in  the  light  of  subsequent 
events,  was  the  general  conviction  of  the  hostile  sec- 
tions, that  a  single  decisive  engagement  would  termi- 
nate the  war.  Little  did  the  Unionists  then  know  of 
the  ambitious  designs  of  the  pro-slavery  leaders,  and 
still  less  did  the  uneducated,  misguided  masses  of  the 
South  know  of  the  patriotism,  resources,  and  invincible 
determination  of  the  North.  On  both  sides  there  was 
great  popular  anxiety  for  a  general  battle  to  deter- 
mine the  question  of  relative  manhood  :  and  especially 
on  the  side  of  the  South,  from  an  impression  that  one 
distinct  and  large  combat  resulting  in  its  favor,  and 
showing  conspicuously  its  superior  valor,  would  alarm 
the  North  sufficiently  to  lead  it  to  abandon  the  war. 
The  New  York  Tribune,  which  was  supposed  at  that 
time  to  be  a  faithful  representative  of  the  sentiment 
and  temper  of  the  North,  said,  on  the  nineteenth  of 
July,  1861  :  '  We  have  been  most  anxious  that  this 
struggle  should  be  submitted  at  the  earliest  moment  to 
the  ordeal  of  a  fair,  decisive  battle.  Give  the  Unionists 
a  fair  field,  equal  weapons  and  equal  numbers,  and  we 
ask  no  more.  Should  the  rebel  forces  at  all  justify 
the  vaunts  of  their  journalistic  trumpeters,  we  shall 
candidly  admit  the  fact.  If  they  can  beat  double  the 
number  of  Unionists,  they  can  end  the  struggle  on 
their  own  terms.' 


"BATTLES  FOR  THE   UNION."  325 

"A  field  for  the  grand  combat  was  soon  found,  but 
its  results  were  destined  to  disappoint  both  the  victors 
and  the  vanquished.  The  South  had  looked  forward 
to  this  field  for  an  acknowledgment  of  its  independence; 
the  North  for  a  downfall  of  the  rebellion." 

The  chapter  on  "  Brandy  Station  "  affords  several 
illustrations  of  our  author's  glowing  descriptive  power, 
thus: 

"The  words  Brandy  Station  will  ever  excite  a  multi- 
tude of  thrilling  memories  in  the  minds  of  all  cavalry- 
men who  saw  service  in  Virginia,  for  this  was  the 
grand  cavalry  battle-ground  of  the  war. 

"On  these  historic  plains  our  Bayard,  Stonemun, 
and  Pleasauton  have  successively  led  their  gallant 
troopers  against  the  commands  of  Stuart,  Lee,  and 
Hampton.  The  twentieth  of  August,  1862,  the  ninth 
of  June,  twelfth  of  September,  and  eleventh  of  October, 
1863,  are  days  which  cannot  soon  be  forgotten  by  the 
'  Boys  in  Blue '  who  crossed  sabres  with  the  Confed- 
erates at  Brandy  Station. 

"Converging  and  diverging  roads  at  this  point  quite 
naturally  brought  the  cavalry  of  the  contending  armies 
together  whenever  we  advanced  to,  or  retired  from,  the 
Rapidan.  Being  both  the  advance  and  rear-guard  of 
the  opposing  forces,  our  horsemen  always  found  them- 
selves face  to  face  with  the  foe  on  this  field ;  in  fact, 
most  of  our  cavalrymen  were  so  confident  of  a  fight 
here,  that  as  soou  as  we  discovered  that  we  were  ap- 
proaching the  station  we  prepared  for  action  by  tight- 
ening our  saddle-girths  and  inspecting  our  arms. 

"  Upon  the  withdrawal  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
from  the  Peninsula,  General  Lee,  contemplating  the 
invasion  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  started  his 


326  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

array  northward  with  the  view,  no  doubt,  of  driving 
Pope  from  northern  Virginia,  and  carrying  the  Con- 
federate standard  into  the  loyal  States.  The  battle 
of  Cedar  Mountain  temporarily  checked  his  forward 
movement  and  compelled  him  to  retire  to  the  south  bank 
of  the  Rapidan.  The  reappearance  of  rebel  skir- 
mishers at  the  various  fords  of  the  river  on  the  morn- 
ing of  August  the  eighteenth,  1862,  was  an  evidence 
to  our  pickets  that  the  enemy  was  about  to  resume 
hostilities. 

"General  Pope  at  once  ordered  his  artillery  and 
infantry  to  retire  beyond  the  Rappahannock,  while 
General  Bayard,  commanding  the  cavalry,  was  charged 
with  covering  the  rear  of  the  retiring  army.  We  dis- 
puted the  advance  of  the  rebels  so  stubbornly  that 
they  found  no  opportunity  to  interfere  with  the  re- 
treat of  the  main  column.  The  morning  of  the  twen- 
tieth found  the  'Harris  Light/  Tenth  New  York, 
First  Pennsylvania,  First  Maine,  First  Rhode  Island, 
and  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry,  bivouacked  at  Brandy 
Station. 

"The  engagement  opened  at  six  o'clock  by  an 
attack  of  Stuart's  cavalry  upon  the  Harris  Light,  act- 
ing as  rear-guard  of  Bayard's  brigade. 

"This  preliminary  onset  was  speedily  repulsed  by 
the  Harris  Light,  which  regiment  kept  the  enemy  in 
check  until  General  Bayard  had  gained  sufficient  time 
to  enable  him  to  form  his  command  at  a  more  favor- 
able point,  two  miles  north  of  the  station,  on  the 
direct  road  to  the  Rappahannock.  Here  the  Harris 
Light,  led  by  Colonel  Kilpatrick  and  Major  Davies, 
again  charged  the  advanced  regiments  of  the  Confed- 
erate column,  thus  opening  the  series  of  memorable 


"BATTLES  FOR  THE   UNION."  327 

conflicts  at  Brandy  Station,  and  adding  fresh  laurels 
to  its  already  famous  record.  A  deep  cut  in  a  hill, 
through  which  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  Railroad 
passes,  checked  our  pursuit,  else  we  should  have  cap- 
tured many  prisoners.  The  First  New  Jersey  and 
First  Pennsylvania  coming  to  our  relief  enabled  us  to 
reform  our  broken  squadrons,  and,  as  Pope  had  in- 
structed General  Bayard  not  to  bring  on  a  general 
engagement,  the  cavalry  now  crossed  the  Rappahan- 
nock  and  awaited  the  orders  of  the  general-in-chief." 

The  following  description  of  "  Manassas  or  Second 
Bull  Run  "shows  great  mastery  of  his  subject,  and  the 
possession  of  a  facile  and  impartial  pen : 

"On  the  twenty-ninth  of  August,  1862,  the  storm 
of  battle  again  broke  over  the  plains  of  Manassas, 
and  surged  furiously  along  the  borders  of  Bull  Run 
creek  and  down  the  Warrenton  pike.  The  figure  of 
General  Franz  Sigel  stands  out  in  bold  relief  against 
the  background  of  battle,  the  first  actor  appearing  on 
the  scene  in  this  drama  of  war  and  death. 

"The  time  is  daybreak,  and  the  rosy  light  of  early 
dawn,  so  peaceful  and  so  pure,  flushes  the  sky  in 
painful  contrast  to  the  scenes  of  strife  and  bloodshed 
below. 

"At  noon  on  the  day  previous,  General  Pope  had 
ordered  Reno,  Kearney  and  Hooker  to  follow  Jackson, 
who,  through  the  miscarriage  of  well-laid  plans,  had 
been  allowed  to  escape  in  the  direction  of  Centreville. 
McDowell's  command,  then  on  the  way  to  Manassas, 
was  ordered  to  march  to  Centreville,  while  Porter  was 
directed  to  come  forward  to  Manassas  Junction.  The 
orders  were  promptly  executed  by  the  various  com- 
mands, excepting  that  of  Fitz-John  Porter,  who  unac- 


328  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

countably  on  loyal  principles,  remained  inactive  during 
the  ensuing  contest.  Kearney  drove  the  enemy  out  of 
Centreville,  and  in  their  retreat  along  the  Warrenton 
Road  they  encountered  the  division  of  King,  McDowell's 
advance,  marching  eastward  to  intercept  them. 

"A  sharp  fight  took  place,  terminating  to  the  advan- 
tage of  neither,  and  at  night  the  contestants  bivouacked 
near  the  battle-field. 

"  On  the  night  of  the  twenty-eighth,  Pope's  forces 
were  so  disposed  that  twenty-five  thousand  men  under 
McDowell,  Sigel  and  Reynolds,  were  ready  to  attack 
Jackson  from  the  south  and  west,  and  the  corps  of  Reno, 
Heintzelman,  and  Porter,  consisting  of  an  equal  number 
of  troops,  were  to  complete  the  attack  from  the  east.  Lee 
was  pushing  forward  his  forces  to  support  Jackson  at 
Thoroughfare  Gap,  and  it  was  necessary  for  the  Union 
army  to  use  all  possible  celerity  of  movement,  in  order  to 
make  the  attack  before  the  main  movement  of  the  Con- 
federate army  under  Lee  could  come'  up.  But  this  com- 
bination failed  like  many  another, and  during  the  night 
King's  division  fell  back  towards  Manassas  Junction, 
at  which  place  Porter's  Corps  had  recently  arrived,  and 
the  road  to  Gainsville  and  Thoroughfare  Gap  was  thus 
left  open  to  Jackson.  A  new  arrangement  of  troops 
became  therefore  necessary."  .... 

There  are  several  fine  passages  in  the  description  of 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg  which  show  graphic  power, 
and  penetration  into  the  motives  of  the  leaders.  The 
story  of  this  sanguinary  struggle  for  victory  is  well  told 
throughout.  We  extract  the  following: 

"Night  cam'e  on  to  close  the  dreadful  day.  Thus  far 
the  battle  had  been  mostly  to  the  advantage  of  the 
rebels.  They  held  the  ground  where  Reynolds  had 


"BATTLES  FOR   THE   UNION."  329 

fallen,  also  Seminary  Ridge,  and  the  elevation  whence 
the  Eleventh  Corps  had  been  driven.  They  also  occu- 
pied the  ridge  on  which  Sickles  had  commenced  to 
fight.  Sickles  himself  was  hors  de  combat  with  a  shat- 
tered leg,  which  had  to  be  amputated,  and  not  far  from 
twenty  thousand  of  our  men  had  been  killed,  wounded, 
and  captured.  The  rebels  had  also  lost  heavily  in 
killed  and  wounded,  but  having  gained  several  impor- 
tant positions,  were  deluded  with  the  idea  that  they  had 
gained  a  victory. 

"  During  these  days  of  deadly  strife  and  of  unpre- 
cedented slaughter,  our  cavalry  was  by  no  means  idle. 
On  the  morning  of  the  first,  Kilpatrick  advanced  his 
victorious  squadrons  to  the  vicinity  of  Abbottstown, 
where  they  struck  a  force  of  rebel  cavalry,  which  they 
scattered,  capturing  several  prisoners,  and  then  rested. 
To  the  ears  of  the  alert  cavalry  chieftain  came  the 
sound  of  battle  at  Gettysburg,  accompanied  with  the 
intelligence  from  prisoners  mostly,  that  Stuart's  main 
force  was  bent  on  doing  mischief  on  the  right  of  our 
infantry  lines,  which  were  not  far  from  the  night's 
bivouac. 

"  He  appeared  instinctively  to  know  where  he  was 
most  needed ;  so,  in  the  absence  of  orders,  early  the 
next  morning  he  advanced  on  Hunterstown.  At  this 
point  were  the  extreme  wings  of  the  infantry  lines,  and 
as  Kilpatrick  expected,  he  encountered  the  rebel  cav< 
ulry,  commanded  by  his  old  antagonists,  Stuart,  Lee 
and  Hampton.  The  early  part  of  the  day  was  spent 
mostly  in  reconnoitring,  but  all  the  latter  part  of  the 
day  was  occupied  in  hard,  bold,  and  bloody  work. 
Charges  and  counter-charges  were  made;  the  carbine, 


330  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

pistol  and  sabre  were  used  by  turns,  and  the  artillery 
thundered  long  after  the  infantry  around  Gettysburg 
had  sunk  to  rest,  well-nigh  exhausted  with  the  bloody 
carnage  of  the  weary  day.  But  Stuart,  who  had  hoped 
to  break  in  upon  our  flank  and  rear,  and  to  pounce 
upon  our  trains,  was  not  only  foiled  in  his  endeavor  by 
the  gallant  Kilpatrick,  but  also  driven  back  upon  his 
infantry  supports  and  badly  beaten. 

"In  the  night,  Kilpatrick,  after  leaving  a  sufficient 
force  to  prevent  Stuart  from  doing  any  special  damage 
on  our  right,  swung  around  with  the  remainder  of  his 
division  to  the  left  of  our  line,  near  Round  Top,  and 
was  there  prepared  for  any  work  which  might  be 
assigned  him. 

"  Friday,  July  third,  the  sun  rose  bright  and  warm 
upon  the  blackened  forms  of  the  dead  which  were 
strewn  over  the  bloody  earth  ;  upon  the  wounded,  who 
had  not  been  cared  for,  and  upon  long  glistening  lines 
of  armed  men,  ready  to  renew  the  conflict.  Each 
antagonist,  rousing  every  slumbering  element  of  power, 
seemed  to  be  resolved  upon  victory  or  death. 

"The  fight  commenced  early,  by  an  attack  of  General 
Slocum's  men,  who,  determined  to  regain  tire  rifle-pits 
they  had  lost  the  evening  before,  descended  like  an 
avalanche  upon  the  foe.  The  attack  met  with  a  prompt 
response  from  General  Ewell.  But  after  several  hours 
of  desperate  fighting,  victory  perched  upon  the  Union 
banners,  and  with  great  loss  and  slaughter,  the  rebels 
were  driven  out  of  the  breast-works,  and  fell  back  upon 
their  main  lines  near  Benner's  Hill. 

"This  successful  move  upon  the  part  of  our  boys  in 
blue  was  followed  by  an  ominous  lull  or  quiet,  which 
continued  about  three  hours.  Meanwhile  the  silence 


"BATTLES  FOE   THE   UNION."  331 

was  fitfully  broken  by  an  occasional  spit  of  fire,  while 
every  preparation  was  being  made  for  a  last,  supreme 
effort,  which  it  was  expected  would  decide  the  mighty 
contest.  The  scales  were  being  poised  for  the  last  time, 
and  upon  the  one  side  or  the  other  was  soon  to  be 
recorded  a  glorious  victory  or  a  disastrous  defeat. 
Hearts  either  trembled,  or  waxed  strong  in  the  awful 
presence  of  this  responsibility. 

"At  length  one  o'clock  arrived,  a  signal-gun  was 
fired,  and  then  at  least  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
guns  from  Hill  and  Longstreet  concentrated  and  crossed 
their  fires  upon  Cemetery  Hill,  the  centre  and  key  of 
our  position.  Just  behind  this  crest,  though  much 
exposed,  were  General  Meade's  headquarters.  For 
nearly  two  hours  this  hill  was  plowed  and  torn  by  solid 
shot  and  bursting  shell,  while  about  one  hundred  guns 
on  our  side,  mainly  from  this  crest  and  Round  Top,  made 
sharp  response.  The  earth  and  the  air  shook  for  miles 
around  with  the  terrific  concussion,  which  came  no 
longer  in  volleys,  but  in  a  continual  rour.  So  long 
and  fearful  a  cannonade  was  never  before  witnessed  on 
this  continent.  As  the  range  was  short  and  the  aim 
accurate,  the  destruction  was  terrible. 

"Gradually  the  fire  on  our  side  began  to  slacken, 
and  General  Meade,  learning  that  our  guns  were  be- 
coming hot,  gave  orders  to  cease  firing  and  to  let  the 
guns  cool,  though  the  rebel  balls  were  making  fearful 
havoc  among  our  gunners,  while  our  infantry  sought 
poor  shelter  behind  every  projection,  anxiously  awaiting 
the  expected  charge.  At  length  the  enemy,  supposing 
that  our  guns  were  silenced,  deemed  that  the  moment 
for  an  irresistible  attack  had  come.  Accordingly,  as  a 
25 


332  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

lion  emerges  from  his  lair,  lie  sallied  forth,  when 
strong  lines  of  infantry,  nearly  three  miles  in  length, 
with  double  lines  of  skirmishers  in  front,  and  heavy 
reserves  in  rear,  advanced  with  desperation  to  the 
final  effort.  They  moved  with  steady,  measured  tread 
over  the  plain  below,  and  began  the  ascent  of  the  hills 
occupied  by  our  forces,  concentrating  somewhat  upon 
General  Hancock,  though  stretching  across  our  entire 

front. 

•  ••••• 

"  General  Picket's  division  was  nearly  annihilated. 
One  of  his  officers  recounted  that,  as  they  were  charg- 
ing over  the  grassy  plain,  he  threw  himself  down 
before  a  murderous  discharge  of  grape  and  canister, 
which  mowed  the  grass  and  men  all  'around  him'  &s> 
though  a  scythe  had  been  swung  just  above  his  pros- 
trate form. 

"During  the  terrific  cannonade  and  subsequent 
charges,  our  ammunition  and  other  trains  had  been 
parked  in  rear  of  Round  Top,  which  gave  them  splen- 
did shelter.  Partly  to  possess  this  train,  but  mainly 
to  secure  this  commanding  position,  General  Long- 
street  sent  two  strong  divisions  of  infantry,  with  heavy 
artillery,  to  turn  our  flank,  and  drive  us  from  this 
ground.  Kilpatrick,  with  his  division,  which  had  been 
strengthened  by  Merritt's  regulars,  was  watching  this 
point  and  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  strike  the  foe. 
It  came  at  last.  Emerging  from  the  woods  in  front 
of  him  came  a  strong  battle-line,  followed  by  others. 

"To  the  young  Farnsworth  was  committed  the  task 
of  meeting  infantry  with  cavalry  in  an  open  field. 
Placing  the  Fifth  New  York  in  support  of  Elder's 
battery,  which  was  exposed  to  a  galling  fire,  but  uiada 


"RATTLES  FOR   THE   UNION."  333 


reply  with  characteristic  rapidity,  precision  and  sl 
tor,  Farnsworth  quickly  ordered  tlic  First  Virginia,  the 
First  Vermont,  and  Eighteenth  Pennsylvania  in  line 
of  battle,  and  galloped  away  and  charged  upon  the 
Hank  of  the  advancing  columns.  The  attack  was 
sharp,  brief  and  successful,  though  attended  with  great 
slaughter.  But  the  rebels  were  driven  upon  their 
main  lines,  and  the  flank  movement  was  prevented. 
Thus  the  cavalry  added  another  dearly  earned  laurel 
to  its  chaplet  of  honor  —  dearly  earned,  because  many 
of  their  bravest  champions  fell  upon  that  bloody  field. 

"Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  —  the  bloody 
turning-point  of  the  rebellion  —  the  bloody  baptism  of 
the  redeemed  republic.  Nearly  twenty  thousand  men 
from  the  Union  ranks  had  been  killed  and  wounded, 
and  a  larger  number  of  the  rebels,  making  the  enor- 
mous aggregate  of  at  least  forty  thousand,  whose  blood 
was  shed  to  fertilize  the  Tree  of  Liberty." 

The  following  peroration  to  the  glowing  account  of 
the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  we  quote  as  an  illus- 
tration of  the  vein  of  poetry  that  pervades  his 
writings: 

"  Thus  another  field  of  renown  was  added  to  the  list, 
so  rapidly  increased  during  these  years;  where  valor 
won  deathless  laurels,  and  principle  was  reckoned 
freighter  than  life. 

''  Peacefully  the  Tennessee  flows  between  its  banks 
onward  to  the  ocean,  nor  tells  aught  of  the  bloody 
struggle  on  its  shore.  Quietly  the  golden  grain  ripens 
in  the  sun,  and  the  red  furrow  of  war  is  supplanted 
by  the  plowshares  of  peace.  To  the  child  born  within 
the  shadow  of  this  battle-field,  \vlio  listens  wonder- 


334  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

ingly  to  a  recital  of  the  deeds  of  this  day,  the  heroes 
of  Shiloh  will,  mayhap,  appear  like  the  dim  phantoms 
of  a  dream,  shadowy  and  unreal,  but  the  results  they 
helped  to  bring  about  are  the  tissue  of  a  people's  life  ; 
the  dust  he  treads  is  the  sacred  soil  from  which  sprang 
(he  flowers  of  freedom,  and  the  institutions  for  which 
these  men  died,  make  his  roof  safe  over  his  head." 

We  conclude  our  extracts  from  the  volume  with  a 
part  of  the  chapter  on  "  The  Surrender."  The  story 
is  told  without  flourish  of  trumpets,  and  in  a  manner 
to  give  no  offense  to  the  vanquished,  while  its  strict 
*  and  impartial  adherence  to  truth  must  recommend  it 
to  all  readers : 

"  The  last  act  in  the  great  drama  of  the  war  took 
place  without  dramatic  accessory.  There  was  no 
startling  tableau,  with  the  chief  actors  grouped  in  effec- 
tive attitudes,  surrounded  by  their  attendants.  No 
spreading  tree  lent  its  romance  to  the  occasion,  as  some 
artists  have  fondly  supposed. 

"A  plain  farm-house  between  the  lines  was  selected 
by  General  Lee  for  the  surrender,  and  the  ceremony  of 
that  act  was  short  and  simple.  The  noble  victor  did 
not  complete  the  humiliation  of  the  brave  vanquished 
by  any  triumphal  display  or  blare  of  trumpets.  In 
his  magnanimity  he  even  omitted  the  customary  usage 
of  allowing  the  victorious  troops  to  pass  through  the 
enemy's  lines  and  witness  their  surrender.  The  two 
great  commanders  met  with  courteous  salutation,  Gen- 
eral Lee  being  attended  by  only  one  of  his  aides. 
General  Grant  sat  down  at  a  table  in  the  barely  fur- 
nished room  and  wrote  in  lead-pencil  the  terms  of 
capitulation,  to  which  Lee  dictated  an  agreement  in 
writing.  His  secretary,  Colonel  Marshall,  and  Colonel 


"BATTLES  FOR   THE   UNION."  335 

Badeau,  the  secretary  of  General  Grant,  made  copies 
of  the  agreement  from  the  same  bottle  of  ink. 

"The  final  situation  of  the  Confederate  army  before 
its  surrender  was  indeed  desperate — its  environments 
hopeless.  Hemmed  in  at  Appomattox  Court  House,  on 
a  strip  of  land  between  the  Appomattox  and  James 
rivers,  the  Union  arrny  nearly  surrounded  it  on  all 
sides.  Sheridan  was  in  front,  Meade  in  the  rear,  and 
Ord  south  of  the  Court  House.  Lee  had  no  alter- 
native other  than  the  wholesale  slaughter  of  his  reduced 
army,  or  its  surrender  to  Federal  authority.  He  wisely 
chose  the  latter. 

"  The  decisive  battle  of  Five  Forks  had  put  his 
army  to  rout,  and  sent  it  in  rapid  retreat  towards  the 
junction  of  the  Southside  and  Danville  railroads  at 
Burkesville.  The  Union  troops  pressed  forward  in 
pursuit,  and  it  became  a  vital  question  which  would 
reach  the  junction  first.  Between  Petersburg,  their 
point  of  starting,  and  their  destination,  at  Burkesville, 
the  distance  was  fifty-three  miles.  The  roads  were  bad, 
and  the  troops  tired  with  two  days'  fighting;  but  they 
pushed  on  with  determination  in  this  race  which  was 
destined  to  decide  the  fate  of  two  armies. 

"It  was  Palm  Sunday,  April  the  ninth,  1865,  when 
the  capitulation  was  signed,  in  the  plain  frame  dwelling 
near  Appomattox  Court  House. 

"One  is  often  struck  with  the  curious  coincidences 
— the  apparent  sympathy  between  nature  and  impor- 
tant human  events.  The  dying  hours  of  Cromwell 
and  Napoleon  were  marked  by  violent  storms.  Omens 
in  earth  and  sky  were  the  precursors  of  the  death  of 


S36  SWORD  AXD  PEN. 

Julius  Gesar  and  King  Duncan.  A  great  comet 
heralded  tlie  opening  of  the  war,  and  Palm  Sunday — 
the  day  which  commemorates  (he  victorious  entry  of 
Christ  into  Jerusalem,  ushered  in  the  welcome  reign  of 
peace.  The  time  was  auspicious;  the  elements  were 
rocked  to  sleep  in  a  kind  of  Sunday  repose.  The  two 
armies,  so  long  in  deadly  hostility,  were  now  facing 
each  other  with  guns  strangely  hushed.  An  expectant 
silence  pervaded  the  air.  Every  heart  was  anxiously 
awaiting  the  result  of  the  conference  in  the  historic 
farm-house. 

"  When  at  last  the  news  of  the  surrender  flashed 
along  the  linos,  deafening  cheers  rose  and  fell  for  more 
than  half  an  hour,  over  the  victorious  Union  army. 
Other  than  this,  there  was  no  undue  triumphal  display 
cf  the  victors  over  the  conquered  foe.  .  .  .  The  shout 
of  joy  which  was  sent  up  that  day  from  Appomattox 
Court  House  echoed  through  the  entire  Xorth.  Can- 
nons boomed  forth  their  iron  pteans  of  victory ;  the 
glad  clash  of  bells  was  heard  ringing  '  peace  and  free- 
dom in/  and  bonfires  flamed  high  their  attestation  of 
the  unbounded  delight  every  where  exhibited.  The  day 
of  jubilee  seemed  to  have  come,  and  rejoicing  was  the 
order  of  the  hour.  The  storm  of  war  which  had 
rocked  the  country  for  four  long  years,  was  now  rolling 
away,  and  the  sunlight  of  peace  fell  athwart  the 
national  horizon.  The  country  for  which  Washington 
fought  and  Warren  fell  was  once  more  safe  from 
treason's  hands,  and  liberty  was  again  the  heritage  of 
the  people." 

The  Northern  and  Western  press,  as  heretofore, 
again  bore  its  flattering  testimony  to  our  author's  dili- 
gence, truthfulness  and  loyalty  to  his  colors;  and  to  the 


"BATTLES  FOB   THE  UNION."  337 

surprising  facility  with  which  a  soldier  could  sheathe 
his  sword  and  wield  a  pen,  charming  alike  the  veteran 
by  his  details  of  valor,  and  the  mother,  wife  and  sister 
by  his  stories  of  pathos  from  the  battle-field. 

The  following  is  from  the  Philadelphia  Notih 
American : 

" '  Battles  for  the  Union.' — Thoroughly  representative  of  the 
cournge  and  ability  shown  on  either  side  in  the  great  struggle  that 
lasted  from  the  close  of  1860  to  April,  1865.  It  is  not  the  purpose  of 
the  author  to  present  a  standard  and  critical  work  like  the  works  of 
Jomini,  Napier  and  Allison  ;  nor  to  include  a  discussion  of  political 
questions.  His  aim  is  rather  to  furnish  a  vivid  and  correct  account 
of  the  principal  battles  in  such  simple  and  intelligible  terms  that  every 
reader  may  gain  a  precise  idea  of  each.  His  style  is  rather  graphic 
and  vigorous  than  ornate.  He  introduces  effective  details  and  per- 
sonal episodes.  His  facts  are  gleaned  from  a  variety  of  sources  as 
well  as  from  personal  knowledge ;  and  though  proud  of  his  own 
cause  and  of  his  companions,  he  does  not  belittle  their  renown  by 
decrying  the  valor  or  the  intelligence  of  his  opponents.  The  con- 
flicts themselves  will  never  be  forgotten.  It  is  desirable  that  they 
shall  be  kept  vivid  and  clear  in  the  minds  of  the  rising  generation, 
to  cultivate  a  correct  idea  of  the  necessity  of  personal  valor  and  of 
military  preparation  and  capacity,  as  well  as  impress  a  serious  idea 
of  the  momentous  importance  of  political  issues.  Captain  Glazier's 
volume  is  excellently  fitted  to  instruct  and  interest  everywhere." 

The  Pittsbtirg  Commercial  says : 

"  Commencing  with  the  siege  and  final  surrender  of  Fort  Sumter, 
the  author  traces  the  progress  of  the  Union  armies  through  all  the 
chief  battles  of  the  war,  giving  vivid  and  glowing  descriptions  of 
the  struggles  at  Big  Bethel,  Bull  Run,  Wilson's  Creek,  Ball's  Bluff, 
Mill  Spring,  Pea  Ridge,  the  fight  between  the  'Merrimac'  and 
1  Monitor,'  Newbern,  Falmouth  Heights,  Pittsbtirg  Landing,  Wil- 
liamsburg,  Seven  Pines,  Fair  Oaks,  Malvern  Hill,  Cedar  Mountain, 
Brandy  Station,  Manassas  or  Second  Bull  Run,  Chantilly,  Antietam, 
Corinth,  Fredericksburg,  Stone  River,  Chancellorsville,  Aldie,  Up- 
perville,  Gettysburg,  Vicksburg,  Port  Hudson,  Falling  Waters, 
Chickamauga,  Bristoe,  New  Baltimore,  Fort  Fisher,  Olustee,  Fort 
Pillow,  Cold  Harbor,  Fort  Wagner,  Cedar  Creek,  Waynesboro, 


338  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Bentonville,  Five  Forks,  and  down  to  the  surrender  of  Lee.  Captain 
Glazier  has  evidently  had  access  to  the  official  records  of  the  war, 
and  his  narrative  of  the  great  events  are  therefore  accurate.  The 
book  is  one  the  reading  of  which  will  make  the  blood  tingle  in  the 
veins  of  every  soldier  who  took  part  in  the  late  war,  while  it  will 
deeply  interest  every  lover  of  his  country.  As  a  book  for  boys,  it 
has  few,  if  any,  superiors."  » 

The  Chicago  Inter-Ocean  writes: 

" '  Battles  for  the  Union '  is  such  a  history  as  every  soldier  and 
every  man  who  has  a  pride  in  his  country,  should  wish  to  possess. 
Captain  Glazier  was  no  carpet  knight.  He  shared  the  glories  of 
the  Harris  Light  Cavalry  in  camp  and  field,  earning  his  promotion 
from  the  non-commissioned  ranks  to  the  command  for  which  he  was 
so  admirably  fitted.  There  is  the  scent  of  powder  in  what  he  writes, 
the  vivid  reality  of  sight  and  understanding.  We  are  particularly 
charmed  with  his  style,  which  is  plain,  blunt,  direct,  and  free  from 
strain  or  affectation.  He  describes  the  fights  as  they  were  fought; 
individual  deeds  of  bravery  as  they  were  performed ;  the  march 
and  its  trials ;  the  defeat  and  its  causes ;  the  victory  and  its  effects. 
With  the  ardor  of  a  young  patriot,  and  the  generous  admiration  of 
a  good  soldier,  he  feels  as  great  a  pride  in  the  successes  of  a  rival 
corps  as  in  his  own.  Nor  is  this  an  unworthy  feature  of  his  work, 
because  the  army  was  full  of  little,  and  sometimes  not  particularly 
friendly,  rivalries.  Willard  Glazier's  chapters,  in  which  every 
battle  may  be  regarded  as  a  separate  picture,  read  like  a  grand 
panoramic  view  of  gallant  deeds  and  warlike  pageantries.  If  the 
author  occasionally  covers  up  a  clear  defeat,  excusing  it  with  grace- 
ful art;  if  he  feels  disposed  to  over-estimate  a  slight  advantage,  and 
to  claim  a  victory  where  the  battle  was  evidently  drawn,  he  errs 
upon  the  side  of  love  for  the  Boys  in  Blue,  and  pride  in  the  flag 
under  which  he  fought.  The  work  is  divided  into  forty-four  chap- 
ters, each  containing  a  different  battle.  We  confidently  recommend 
these  graphic  and  life-like  pictures  to  the  notice  of  our  readers. 
They  are  thrilling  as  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  and  soul-inspiring 
as  the  songs  of  Ossian.  We  call  the  reader's  attention  to  the 
description  of  the  combat  between  the  '  Merrimac  '  and  '  Monitor ' 
in  chapter  eight.  It  is  something  which  will  fill  with  pride  the 
sailor's  heart." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 
"HEROES  OF  THREE  AVARS." 

Literary  zeal. — "Heroes  of  Three  Wars" — Extract  from  prefac?.— 
Sale  of  the  work. — Extracts:  Washington. — Winfield  Scott. — 
Zuchary  Taylor.  —  Grant.  —  Sheridan.  —  Kilpatrick.  —  Press 
reviews,  a  few  out  of  many :  Boston  "  Transcript." — Chicago 
"J nter-Ocean." — Baltimore  "Sun." — Philadelphia  "  Times." — 
Cincinnati "  Enquirer.' '—  Worcester  "  Spy." — Pittsburg  "  Gazette." 

>Y  this  time  our  soldier-author  found  himself  not 
only  famous,  but,  through  the  enormous  sale  of 
his  hooks,  in  comparatively  affluent  circumstances.  His 
literary  zeal,  however,  was  not  yet  spent,  and  work  suc- 
ceeded work  with  a  rapidity  almost  without  parallel, 
while  the  extent  of  their  sale  exceeded  anything  hitherto 
known  in  the  literary  world. 

"Heroes  of  Three  Wars,"  issued  by  Hubbard 
Brothers,  Philadelphia,  the  latest  production  of  his 
pen  which  he  has  as  yet  published,  comprises  origi- 
nal and  life-like  sketches  of  the  brave  soldiers  of  the 
Revolutionary,  Mexican  and  Civil  Wars ;  and  the 
stories  are  told  in  a  way  that  is  not  easily  forgotten. 
In  the  wide  field  presented  by  these  three  important 
epochs  in  the  history  of  our  country,  Glazier  has 
labored  to  inculcate  in  the  minds  of  young  Americans 
the  virtues  of  gallantry,  true  worth,  and  patriotism ; 
and  his  work  is  valuable  as  presenting  to  the  student 
in  a  small  coujpass,  so  much  of  interest  in  biography 
and  history. 

(31J) 


342  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Ill  the  preface  to  the  work  he  observes :  "  Washing- 
ton, Scott  and  Grant  are  names  that  will  live  forever 
in  our  history;  not  because  they  were  the  subjects  of  a 
blind  adulation,  but  because  their  worth  was  properly 
estimated,  and  their  deeds  truthfully  recorded.  The 
time  for  deifying  men  has  long  since  passed ;  we  prefer 
to  see  them  as  they  are — though  great,  still  human, 
and  surrounded  with  human  infirmities;  worthy  of 
immortal  renown,  not  because  they  are  unlike  us,  but 
because  they  excel  us  and  have  performed  a  work 
which  entitles  them  to  the  lasting  gratitude  of  their 
countrymen.  Another  object  of  this  book  is  to  group 
around  these  three  generals,  those  officers  and  men  who 
climbed  to  immortality  by  their  side,  shared  their  for- 
tunes, helped  to  win  their  victories,  and  remained  with 
them  to  the  end."  Again  :  "  Biographies  possess  but 
little  value  unless  they  give  living  portraits,  so  that 
each  man  stands  out  clear  and  distinct  in  his  true  char- 
acter and  proportions." 

Several  thousand  copies  of  this  valuable  work  have 
already  been  called  for  by  the  public,  and  it  bids  fair 
to  equal  its  predecessors  in  amount  of  circulation.  As 
a  specimen  of  its  style,  we  present  to  the  reader  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  the  biographical  sketch  of  Wash- 
ington : — "There  is  a  singular  unanimity  of  opinion 
in  ascribing  to  George  Washington  an  exceptional 
character.  It  was  certainly  one  of  peculiar  sym- 
metry, in  which  a  happy  combination  of  qualities, 
moral,  social  aud  intellectual,  were  guided  to  appro- 
priate action  by  a  remarkable  power  of  clear  judgment. 
It  was  just  the  combination  calculated  to  lead  a  spirited 
and  brave  people  through  such  a  trying  crisis  as  the 
American  Revolution.  His  star  was  not  dark  and 


"HEROES  OF  THREE   WARS,"  343 

bright  by  turns — did  not  reveal  itself  in  uncertain  ami 
fitful  glimmerings — but  shone  with  a  full  and  steady 
luminosity  across  the  troubled  night  of  a  nation's  be- 
ginning. Under  these  broad  and  beneficent  rays  the 
Ship  of  State  was  guided,  through  a  sea  of  chaos,  to 
safe  anchorage.  The  voyage  across  those  seven  event- 
ful years  was  one  that  tried  men's  souls.  Often,  appall- 
ing dangers  threatened.  Wreck  on  the  rocks  of  Dis- 
union, engulfment  in  the  mountain  waves  of  opposition, 
starvation  and  doubt  and  mutiny  on  shipboard — these 
were  a  few  of  the  perils  which  beset  their  course.  But 
a  royal-souled  Commander  stood  at  the  helm,  and  dis- 
cerned, afar-oif,  the  green  shores  of  liberty.  On  this 
land  the  sunshine  fell  with  fruitful  power.  The  air 
was  sweet  with  the  songs  of  birds.  Contentment, 
peace,  prosperity,  reigned.  Great  possibilities  were 
shadowed  forth  within  its  boundaries,  and  a  young 
nation,  growing  rapidly  towards  a  splendid  era  of  en- 
lightenment, was  foreseen  as  a  product  of  the  near 
future.  It  took  a  man  with  deep  faith  in  the  ultimate 
rule  of  right  and  in  humanity,  to  occupy  that  position; 
a  man  with  large  heart,  with  unselfish  aims,  with  pro- 
phetic instincts,  with  clear  and  equalized  brain.  George 
Washington  possessed  all  these  qualities — £nd  more!" 
The  following  is  from  the  admirably  graphic  sketch 
of  the  sturdy  soldier,  Winfield  Scott:  "On  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  the  same  month  (July,  1814),  a  little  below 
that  sublime  spot  where  the  wide  waste  of  waters 
which  rush  over  the  Falls  of  Niagara  roar  and  thunder 
into  the  gulf  below,  and  where  Lundy's  Lane  meets 
the  rapid  river  at  right  angles,  was  enacted  the  scene 
of  conflict  which  took  its  name  from  the  locality,  and 
is  variously  called  the  battle  of  '  Lundy's  Lane/  or 


34-1  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

•  Niagara.'  The  action  began  ibrty  minutes  before 
sunset,  and  it  is  recorded  that  the  head  of  the  Ameri- 
can column,  as  it  advanced,  was  encircled  by  a  rain- 
bow— one  which  is  often  seen  there,  formed  from  the 
rising  spray.  The  happy  omen  faithfully  prefigured 
the  result;  for  when,  under  the  cloudy  sky  of  mid- 
night the  battle  at  length  terminated,  the  Americans 
were  in  possession  of  the  field,  and  also  the  enemy's 
cannon,  which  had  rained  such  deadly  death  into  their 
ranks.  In  this  action  General  Scott  had  two  horses 
killed  under  him,  and  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night  he 
was  disabled  by  a  musket-ball  wound  through  the  left 
shoulder.  He  had  previously  been  wounded,  and  at 
this  juncture  was  borne  from  the  fray.  He  had  piloted 
Miller's  regiment  through  the  darkness  to  the  height 
on  Lundy's  Lane,  where  the  enemy's  batteries  -were 
posted,  and  upon  which  the  grand  charge  was  made 
that  decided  the  battle.  Throughout  the  action  he  was 
the  leading  spirit  of  the  occasion,  giving  personal  di- 
rection to  the  movements  of  his  men,  and  lending  the 
inspiration  of  his  presence  to  all  parts  of  the  field." 

Of  Zachary  Taylor,  our  author  writes,  in  his  mas- 
terly way:  "The  blaze  of  glory  which  is  concentrated 
upon  the  name  and  life  of  Zachary  Taylor,  reveals  a 
hero  as  true  in  metal,  as  sterling  in  virtue,  as  intrepid 
in  action,  and  tender  of  heart,  as  ever  lifted  sword  in 
the  cause  of  honor  or  country.  On  him  has  fallen  that 
most  sacred  mantle  of  renown,  woven  from  the  fabric 
of  a  people's  confidence,  and  lovingly  bestowed — not  as 
upon  a  being  of  superior  race  to  be  worshipped,  but. 
because  he  was  a  leader  from  among  themselves — trulj 
of  the  people.  He  was  honored  with  their  fullest 
trust  in  his  integrity,  and  with  their  largest  faith  in  liis 


"HEROES  OF  THREE   WARS."  345 

uprightness  as  a  man.  As  Daniel  Webster  truly  said,  the 
best  days  of  the  Roman  republic  afforded  no  brighter 
example  of  a  man,  who,  receiving  the  plaudits  of  a 
grateful  nation,  and  clothed  in  the  highest  authority  of 
state,  reached  that  pinnacle  by  more  honest  means; 
who  could  not  be  accused  of  the  smallest  intrigue  or  of 
pursuing  any  devious  ways  to  political  advancement 
in  order  to  gratify  personal  ambition.  All  the  circum- 
stances of  his  rise  and  popularity,  from  the  beginning 
of  his  career,  when,  amid  blood  and  smoke,  he  made 
the  heroic  defence  of  Fort  Harrison,  to  the  wonderful 
battles  of  Palo  Alto,  Resaca,  and  Buena  Vista,  and  at 
last  the  attainment  of  the  Presidential  chair — all  repel 
the  slightest  suspicion  of  sinister  motive,  or  a  wish  for 
individual  aggrandizement.  The  unwavering  rule  of 
his  life — his  guide  in  every  action — was  the  simple 
watchword,  'duty.' 

"As  to  his  qualities  of  leadership,  they  shone  out  in 
high  relief,  from  first  to  last.  In  the  war  of  1812,  he 
was  only  a  captain,  yet  at  Fort  Harrison  he  inspired 
the  scanty  garrison  with  a  belief  in  his  power,  and  they 
gave  him  their  devoted  support.  In  the  Florida  cam- 
paign he  commanded  only  a  brigade,  yet  he  seemed  to 
infuse  into  every  soldier  the  most  courageous  bravery. 
In  the  beginning  of  the  war  with  Mexico,  he  marched 
into  action  at  the  head  of  a  single  division,  and  when 
this  force  afterwards  swelled  into  an  army,  it  did  not 
prove  too  much  for  the  resources  of  its  commanding 
general.  The  frowning  heights  and  barricaded  streets 
of  Monterey,  bristling  with  ten  thousand  Mexicans,  did 
not  daunt  him.  What  though  he  had  only  six  thou- 
sand men  with  which  to  hold  them  in  siege?  The 
assault  was  fearlessly  made,  the  streets  were  stormed, 


346  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

the   heights   were  carried,   the  city    was   won  —  and 
kept! 

"  The  brilliant  victory  of  Buena  Vista,  where  five 
thousand  Americans  hurled  back  and  repulsed  a  tumul- 
tuous Mexican  horde  of  twenty  thousand,  only  reiter- 
ates the  same  marvelous  story  of  superior  leadership." 

"Fresh  from  these  splendid  achievements,  he  re- 
ceived the  nomination  for  President  over  the  names  of 
Henry  Clay,  Daniel  Webster,  and  General  Scott.  It 
was  a  spontaneous  expression  of  the  people's  confidence, 
unheralded  and  unsought.  And  when  he  was  triumph- 
antly elected  over  the  Democratic  and  Free-soil  candi- 
dates— General  Cass,  Martin  Van  Buren,  and  Charles 
Francis  Adams — he  accepted  the  high  office  in  a  spirit 
of  humility  and  simple  compliance  with  duty." 

In  the  sketch  of  General  U.  S.  Grant's  life,  our 
author  has  written  with  a  masterly  hand  the  outlines 
of  the  grand  career  of  his  favorite  general,  the  salient 
points  of  which  are  given  with  a  soldierly  energy  and 
dash  befitting  the  theme.  Thus  the  chapter  commences: 

"The  occasion  often  creates  the  man,  but  the  man 
who  masters  the  occasion  is  born,  not  made.  Many  are 
pushed  to  the  surface,  momentarily,  by  the  pressure  of 
events, and  then  subside  into  common  levels;  but  he  is 
the  true  commander  during  a  crisis,  who  can  wield  the 
waves  of  difficulty  to  advantage,  and  be  a  sure  pilot 
amid  the  on-rush  of  events  when  they  thicken  and 
deepen  into  a  prolonged  struggle. 

"When,  during  the  late  war,  our  country  needed  a 
leader  to  face  and  quell  the  threatened  danger  of  dis- 
union, and  conduct  her  armies  to  successful  issues  ;  and 
when  Government  entrusted  those  momentous  issues 


"HEROES  OF  THREE   WARS."  347 

to  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  '  the  man  and  the  moment  had 
met/ — the  occasion  had  found  its  master. 

"  Napoleon  said  that  the  most  desirable  quality  of  a 
good  general  was  that  his  judgment  should  be  in  equi- 
librium with  his  courage.  To  no  commander  of  mod- 
ern times  could  this  rule  apply  with  more  force  than 
to  Grant.  A  man  of  no  outward  clamor  of  character, 
no  hint  of  bluster  or  dash,  quiet-voiced,  self-controlled, 
but  not  self-asserting,  he  yet  displayed  vast  power  as 
an  organizer,  as  a  tactician,  and  in  masterly  combina- 
tions of  large  forces  so  as  to  produce  the  most  telling 
effects.  It  has  been  truly  said  of  him  that  no  general 
ever  stamped  his  own  peculiar  character  upon  an  army 
more  emphatically  than  did  Grant  upon  the  Army  of 
the  Tennessee.  It  was  the  only  large  organization 
which,  as  a  whole,  never  suffered  a  defeat  during  the 
war.  It  was  noted  for  its  marvelous  persistence — its 
determined  fighting  qualities — and  had  the  reputation 
of  being  sure  to  win  any  battle  that  lasted  over  a  day, 
no  matter  what  the  odds  against  it.  It  was  at  Grant's 
recommendation  that  a  united  command  was  concen- 
trated in  the  Mississippi  Valley — which  concentration 
has  since  been  acknowledged  to  be  the  basis  of  all 
our  subsequent  victories. 

"Generosity,  mildness  and  kind-heartedness,  shone 
as  conspicuously  in  Grant's  character  as  his  firmness 
and  great  generalship.  Simplicity  of  manner  and 
kindness  of  heart  are  always  characteristic  of  the  true 

hero. 

'  The  bravest  are  the  tenderest, 
The  loving  are  the  daring.' 

The  rapid  and   bold    descent  upon    Fort    Donelson, 
the  unconquerable  determination  exhibited  at  Shiloh, 
26 


348  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

the  brilliant  capture  of  Vicksburg,  and  the  high  mili- 
tary science  displayed  at  Chattanooga  Valley,  Look- 
out Mountain,  and  Missionary  Ridge — these  have 
never  been  surpassed  in  military  history,  in  splendor 
of  execution,  or  judiciousness  of  combination.".  .  . 

For  brevity  and  comprehensiveness  we  commend 
the  following  unique  paragraph  on  the  genealogy  of  his 
subject  : 

"  The  great-grandfather  of  Ulysses  was  Captain  Noah 
Grant,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  White  Plains, 
during  the  French  and  Indian  wars,  in  1776.  His 
grandfather,  Noah  Grant,  Jr.,  fought  at  Lexington  as 
lieutenant  of  militia,  and  afterwards,  during  the  Rev- 
olution. His  father,  Jesse,  emigrated  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Ohio,  and  was  married  at  Point  Pleasant, 
Ohio,  June,  1821,  to  Hannah  Simpson,  whose  father 
was  also  from  the  Keystone  State.  Ulysses  was  born 
the  following  year,  April  twenty-seventh,  1822." 

We  quote  again  from  the  sketch  of  Grant : 

"On  the  sixth  of  February  the  brilliant  reduc- 
tion of  Fort  Henry,  on  the  Tennessee,  was  accomplished 
by  Foote,  and  Fort  Donelson,  twelve  miles  distant, 
was  next  in  line.  Grant  and  Foote  were  co-operating 
by  land  and  water;  but  Foote  did  not  meet  here  with 
the  same  success  that  attended  him  at  Fort  Henry. 
It  was  the  fifteenth  of  February,  and  Grant  had  spent 
two  or  three  days  in  making  an  investment  of  the  high 
and  wooded  bluff  from  which  frowned  the  guns  of 
Donelson.  Before  daybreak,  on  the  fifteenth,  he  had 
gone  on  board  the  flag-ship  of  Foote,  in  consultation 
as  to  the  time  and  manner  of  attack,  when  the  enemy 
swept  from  their  works  and  fell  upon  the  Union  lines 
with  tremendous  force.  The  fighting  became  furious 


"HEROES  OF  THREE    WARS."  349 

at  once,  and  for  some  time  the  battle-line  swayed  to 
and  fro,  between  victory  and  defeat.  It  was  desperate 
work  ;  brigades  and  regiments  were  repulsed  and  by 
turns  advanced — the  brave  commands  disputing  every 
inch  of  the  rocky  and  difficult  battle-field.  When 
Grant  reached  the  scene  it  was  '  to  find  his  right  thrown 
back,  ammunition  exhausted,  and  the  ranks  in  con- 
fusion.' With  quick  inspiration  he  took  in  the  situa- 
tion at  a  glance,  comprehended  that  the  enemy  had 
exhausted  his  greatest  strength,  and  ordered  an 
immediate  attack  by  the  left  on  the  Confederate  works 
in  front.  General  Smith  was  in  command  of  this 
portion  of  the  army,  and  had  not  actively  participated 
in  the  conflict.  He  therefore  brought  fresh  troops  -to 
the  assault.  McClernand  was  also  ordered  to  reform 
his  shattered  ranks  and  advance.  The  combined 
forces  charged  with  splendid  valor  up  the  rocky  steeps, 
in  the  blaze  of  a  withering  fire  poured  down  upon 
them  from  the  fort.  They  did  not  falter  for  a  single 
instant,  but  reaching  the  summit,  swept  over  and  into 
the  Confederate  works  with  ringing  cheers.  On  the 
next  morning  a  white  flag  was  seen  flying  from  the 
fort,  and  under  its  protection,  proposals  for  an  armis- 
tice were  sent  in.  Grant  replied  that  unconditional 
surrender,  and  that  immediately,  must  be  made,  or  he 
would  move  on  their  works  at  once.  Thereupon, 
Buckner,  who  was  in  command,  surrendered  the  fort 
with  its  thirteen  thousand  men.  This  splendid  victory 
blazoned  the  name  of  Grant  all  over  the  country,  and 
he  immediately  became  the  people's  hero." 

"  His  next  achievement,  the  capture  of  Vicksburg, 
was  wonderful  indeed.     Its  natural  strength  of  posi- 


350  8  WORD  AND  PEN. 

tion  on  a  high  bluff,  one  hundred  feet  above  the  water 
level,  added  to  the  formidable  array  of  defences  which 
bristled  defiance  to  all  foes,  made  Vicksburg  a  very  ci- 
tadel of  power,  and  the  fifty  thousand  men  stationed 
there  tinder  Pemberton  and  Price  did  not  lessen  the 
difficulties  to  be  overcome.  A  fort,  mounting  eight 
guns,  sentineled  the  approach  to  the  city  from  beneath, 
while  the  heights  al>ove  were  guarded  by  a  three-banked 
battery.  Eight  miles  of  batteries  lined  the  shore 
above  and  below  Vicksburg.  Grant  made  several 
fruitless  attempts  to  get  to  the  rear  of  the  city  by  dig- 
ging canals  across  the  strip  of  land  on  which  it  stood, 
and  making  an  inland  route;  but  each  one,  after 
herculean  labor,  had  been  abandoned.  He  now  de- 
cided on  the  bold  enterprise  of  running  the  gauntlet 
of  these  batteries  with  his  transports.  This  desperate 
feat  was  successfully  accomplished;  but  before  he 
could  land  his  troops  at  Grand  Gulf,  which  he  had 
selected  as  his  starting-point,  it  was  necessary  to  run 
its  batteries  as  he  had  those  of  Vicksburg,  land  his 
troops  farther  down  the  river,  and  capture  the  place 
by  hard  fighting.  He  waited  for  nothing.  Hurrying 
forward  the  moment  he  touched  land,  his  object  was  to 
take  Grand  Gulf  before  the  enemy  could  reinforce 
it.  ...  After  conquering  Grand  Gulf,  where  he 
expected  Banks  to  join  him,  he  was  confronted  with 
the  refusal  of  that  general  to  co-operate  with  him.  In 
this  dilemma  nothing  but  a  master-stroke  of  genius  could 
wring  success  from  the  materials  of  defeat.  He  saw 
what  was  before  him,  and  with  true  inspiration  became 
the  master  of  circumstances.  At  the  head  of  his  brave 
command  he  pushed  inland,  aiming  to  crush  the  enemy 
'  in  detail  before  he  could  concentrate  his  forces.'  By 


"HEROES  OF  THREE   WARS."  351 

a  rapid  series  of  brilliant  marches,  battles  and  victories, 
Grant  had,  at  last,  on  the  nineteenth  of  May,  succeeded 
in  completely  investing  Vicksburg.  The  whole  plan 
from  its  outset  was  brilliant  to  an  extraordinary  degree, 
and  the  tireless  persistence  and  energy  shown  in  its 
accomplishment,  stamped  this  man  as  a  very  Gibraltar 
of  military  genius. 

"An  assault  on  the  enemy's  works  at  first,  had  proven 
a  failure,  and  now  the  wonderful  siege  began.  For 
forty-six  days  the  digging  and  mining  went  patiently 
forward,  while  screaming  shells  and  booming  shot  pro- 
duced a  reign  of  terror  in  the  city,  until  at  last,  Pem- 
berton  could  hold  out  no  longer  and  surrendered  his 
starving  garrison  to  the  superior  prowess  and  strategy 
of  Grant..  It  was  the  morning  of  the  fourth  of  July 
when  our  troops  took  possession  of  Vicksburg,  and 
ran  up  the  stars  and  stripes  from  the  top  of  the  court- 
house. The  soldiers,  standing  beneath  it,  sang  '  Rally 
round  the  Flag,'  and  Grant  became  more  than  ever  the 
popular  hero.  On  the  thirteenth  of  July,  Lincoln 
wrote  him  a  letter  of  '  grateful  acknowledgment  for 
the  almost  inestimable  service'  he  had  rendered  the 
country.  In  September  he  was  placed  in  command 
of  the  'Departments  of  the  Ohio,  of  the  Cumberland, 
and  of  the  Tennessee,  constituting  the  Military  Division 
of  the  Mississippi.' 

"Grant  assumed  the  duties  of  his  high  office  [the 
lieutenant-generalship  of  the  army]  without  flourish 
of  any  sort,  and  proceeded  to  inaugurate  the  successive 
steps  of  his  last  great  campaign.  The  military  re- 
sources which  centered  in  his  hand  were  stupendous, 
but  had  they  fallen  under  the  control  of  a  man  less 


352  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

great  than  he,  their  very  immensity  would  have  ren- 
dered them  powerless.  The  splendid  array  of  the 
Potomac  was  on  the  move  by  May  third,  and  the  last 
march  to  Richmond  had  begun.  Then  came  the  three- 
days'  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Rapidan,  bloody  and  terrible  and  strange,  during 
which  some  of  our  troops  were  fighting  continuously 
for  forty-eight  hours;  and  following  close  after  came 
also  Spottsylvania,  which  was  the  result  of  an  endeavor 
to  cut  off  Lee's  retreat.  This,  too,  was  a  desperate 
conflict,  where  precious  blood  flowed  in  rivers.  Then 
followed  the  race  between  the  two  opposing  armies,  for 
the  North  Anna.  After  crossing  this  river,  and  find- 
ing the  Confederates  occupying  a  fortified  position  on 
the  South  Anna,  Grant  'swung  his  army  around  to  the 
Pamunky,  and  pitched  his  head-quarters  at  Hanover 
Court  House.'  These  masterly  flank  movements,  in 
which  he  manoeuvred  his  vast  army  with  such  ease, 
exhibited  his  marvelous  genius  in  stronger  light  than 
ever  before.  From  the  Pamunky  he  advanced  to  the 
Chickahominy,  and,  after  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor, 
made  a  rapid  but  quiet  change  of  front  on  the  night 
of  the  twelfth  of  June,  and  two  days  afterwards  crossed 
the  James  and  advanced  against  Petersburg  and  Rich- 
mond. The  attack,  at  first  a  success,  failed  through  a 
blunder,  not  Grant's;  anc-1  then  began  the  long  siege 
which  ended  at  last  in  the  evacuation  of  Petersburg 
and  Richmond.  Nowhere  was  the  joy  more  heartfelt 
over  these  results  than  among  the  released  captives  of 
Libby  Prison. 

"  Lee  made  a  desperate  endeavor  to  escape  the 
'manifest  destiny'  that  pursued  him,  and  led  his  army 
a  'race  for  life.'  But  Grant,  close  on  his  track, 


"HEROES  OF  THESE   WARS."  353 

environed  him  on  all  sides,  and  the  surrender  at 
Appomattox  became  inevitable.  When,  at  the  final 
scene,  Lee  presented  his  sword  to  Grant,  the  great  gen- 
eral handed  it  back  to  him,  saying,  '  it  could  not  be 
worn  by  a  braver  man.' " 

We  present  the  reader  with  the  following  extracts 
from  the  sketch  of  General  Sheridan.  It  will  be 
observed  that  the  author  is  extremely  happy  in  the 
selection  of  his  subjects,  his  aim  evidently  being  to 
include  those  only  whose  reputation  for  heroism  is 
unquestioned  and  national. 

"Sheridan  is  probably  the  most  intense  type  of 'sol- 
diership' brought  to  light  by  the  last  war.  Nor  can 
any  other  \var  furnish  an  individual  example  that  will 
surpass  him  in  fiery  concentration.  In  battle  he  is  the 
very  soul  of  vehement  action — the  incarnate  wrath  of 
the  storm.  No  historian  can  ever  portray  the  man  so 
truly  as  did  the  remarkable  victory  of  Cedar  Creek — 
a  result  solely  of  his  extraordinary  power.  The  mar-- 
velous  will-force  with  which  he  could  hurl  himself  in 
the  front  of  battle,  and  infuse  his  own  spirit  of  uncon- 
querable daring  into  the  ranks,  is  phenomenal,  to  say 
the  least." 

"  When  Grant  became  Lieutenant-General,  Sheridan 
was  given  the  command  of  the  cavalry  of  the  army 
of  the  Potomac,  and  all  his  subsequent  movements 
evinced  wonderful  daring,  skill  and  energy.  No  trust 
committed  to  his  charge  was  ever  misplaced,  no  matter 
what  its  magnitude  or  importance. 

"  When  the  Confederate  Generals  Ewell  and  Early 
were  sent  into  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  went  so 


354  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

far  north  as  to  threaten  Washington,  Grant  consolidated 
the  four  military  divisions  of  the  Susquehanna,  Wash- 
ington, Monongahela  and  West  Virginia,  into  the 
'army  of  the  Shenandoah,'  and  placed  Sheridan  in 
command.  He  defeated  Early  at  Opequan,  September 
nineteenth — for  which  he  was  made  brigadier-general 
of  the  United  States  army;  defeated  him  again  at 
Fisher's  Hill  on  the  twenty-second,  and  on  October 
the  nineteenth  occurred  the  battle  of  Cedar  Creek. 

"The  position  of  Sheridan's  army  at  this  time  was 
along  the  crest  of  three  hills,  'each  one  a  little  back 
of  the  other.'  The  army  of  West  Virginia,  under 
Crook,  held  the  first  hill ;  the  second  was  occupied  by 
the  Nineteenth  Corps,  under  Emory,  and  the  Sixth 
Corps,  with  Torbet's  cavalry  covering  its  right  flank, 
held  the  third  elevation.  Early,  marching  his  army 
in  five  columns,  crossed  the  mountains  and  forded  the 
north  branch  of  the  Shenandoah  River,  at  midnight, 
on  the  eighteenth.  He  knew  that  Sheridan  had  gone 
up  to  Washington,  and  wanted  to  take  advantage  of 
his  absence  to  surprise  the  unsuspecting  camp.  The 
march  was  conducted  so  noiselessly  that,  though  he 
skirted  the  borders  of  our  position  for  miles,  nothing 
came  to  the  ears  of  our  pickets,  save  in  a  few  instances 
where  a  heavy  muffled  tramp  was  heard,  but  disregarded 
as  of  no  consequence. 

"  The  gray  gloom  of  early  morning  hovered  over 
the  camp,  when  a  reconnoitring  force  from  Crook's 
army  was  preparing  to  go  out.  Suddenly,  a  wild  yell 
burst  through  the  foj  which  hid  from  view  the  Con- 
federate army.  A  withering  musketry  fire  and  the 
clash  of  arms  quickly  followed.  Before  our  surprised 
and  panic-stricken  troops  could  be  formed  in  battle- 


"HEROES  OF  THREE   WARS:  355 

array,  the  enemy  were  upon  them,  and  after  a  short 
and  sharp  encounter,  the  army  of  Western  Virginia 
was  thrown  into  utter  rout — a  mass  of  fugitives  flying 
before  the  pursuing  foe  back  towards  the  second  hill 
where  the  Nineteenth  Corps  was  encamped. 

"The  Nineteenth  Corps  attempted  to  arrest  the  Con- 
federate advance,  but  the  enemy  getting  in  our  rear 
and  enfilading  us  with  our  captured  batteries,  tho 
troops  broke  ranks  and  fell  back  in  confusion  towards 
the  encampment  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  on  the  third  hill 
in  the  rear. 

"Sheridan,  meantime,  was  at  Winchester,  where  he 
had  arrived  the  night  before,  intending  to  go  oa  to 
Cedar  Creek  the  next  morning.  As  he  sipped  his 
coffee  at  breakfast  he  did  not  for  an  instant  dream  of 
the  terrible  rout  and  disaster  hovering  at  that  moment 
over  his  army.  When  lie  rode  out  of  Winchester  the 
vibrations  of  the  ground  under  the  heavy  discharges 
of  artillery  in  the  distance  gave  the  first  intimations 
of  danger.  But  he  was  not  yet  alarmed,  knowing  the 
security  of  his  position.  As  he  went  onward,  however, 
the  thunder  of  the  cannon  deepened,  and  then  the  ter- 
rible truth  flashed  upon  him.  He  dashed  spurs  into 
his  horse  and  was  soon  tearing  madly  along  the  road, 
far  ahead  of  his  escort. 

"For  five  anxious  hours  the  desperate  struggle  had 
gone  on,  when  Sheridan  arrived  on  the  field,  encoun- 
tering first  the  stream  of  fugitives  surging  northward. 
They  turned  about  as  they  saw  their  invincible  leader 
flying  towards  the  front,  and  even  the  wounded  along 
the  roadside  cheered  him  as  he  passed.  Swinging  his 


356  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

cap  over  his  head,  he  shouted :  '  Face  the  other  way, 
boys! — face  the  other  way!  We  are  going  back  to 
our  camps !  We  are  going  to  lick  them  out  of  their 
boots ! ' 

"It  was  about  ten  o'clock  when,  with  his  horse 
covered  with  foam,  he  galloped  up  to  the  front.  Im- 
mediately, under  his  quick  commands,  the  broken 
ranks  were  reformed,  and  when  the  Confederates  made 
their  next  grand  charge  across  the  fields  the  terrific 
repulse  that  met  and  hurled  them  back  showed  the 
turn  of  the  tide,  and  compelled  them  to  relinquish  the 
offensive.  For  two  hours  Sheridan  rode  back  and 
forth  along  the  line,  seeming  to  be  everywhere  at  once, 
infusing  into  the  men  his  own  daring  courage  and  en- 
thusiasm. Shouts  and  cheers  followed  him;  and 
though  the  tired  soldiers  had  been  fighting  for  five 
long  hours  and  had  eaten  nothing  since  the  night  be- 
fore, his  presence  was  both  food  and  inspiration,  and 
everything  seemed  to  be  forgotten  in  an  all-controlling 
impulse  to  follow  their  glorious  leader  to  victory. 

"  Early  retired  his  troops  a  short  distance  after  their 
repulse,  and  began  throwing  up  breastworks.  But  the 
intrepid  Sheridan  Had  no  notion  of  allowing  him  to 
retain  that  position.  He  meant  to  regain  Cedar  Creek 
and  rout  the  enemy.  At  half-past  three  a  bold  charge 
was  made.  An  awful  musketry  and  artillery  fire  was 
poured  into  the  advancing  Union  columns,  and,  at  first, 
the  lines  broke  and  fell  back;  but  Sheridan  rose  at 
once  to  the  needs  of  the  crisis,  and  with  superhuman 
efforts  restored  order  and  resumed  the  advance.  Then 
came  '  the  long-drawn  yell  of  our  charge,'  and  '  every- 
thing on  the  first  line,  the  stone  walls,  the  tangled  wood, 
the  advanced  crest,  and  half-finished  breastworks,  had 
been  carried.' 


"HEROES  OF  THREE  WARS.'*  357 

"  The  panic-stricken  enemy  was  sent  flying  in  utter 
rout  through  Middletown,  through  Strasburg,  through 
Fisher's  Hill,  and  to  Woodstock,  sixteen  miles  be- 
yond. Early  was  thus  effectually  driven  out  of  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  and  permanently  crippled. 

"  This  wonderful  victory,  due  to  Sheridan's  personal 
presence  alone,  put  a  crown  on  his  head  which  few 
warriors  could  pluck  from  the  heights  of  Fame." 

"On  March  the  fourth,  1869,  he  received  the  pro- 
motion of  lieutenant-general,  and  was  appointed  to 
the  command  of  the  Division  of  the  Missouri,  of  the 
Platte,  and  of  Texas,  with  head-quarters  at  Chicago." 

The  name  of  Kilpatrick  kindles  enthusiasm  in  the 
breast  of  every  cavalryman  of  the  late  war,  and  our 
author,  having  served  under  him,  has  sketched  his  life, 
con  amore,  in  vivid  and  thrilling  language,  and  with 
a  keen  appreciation  of  his  great  merits  as  a  cavalry 
leader.  The  following  extract  will  confirm  our  view: 

"Like  the  French  Murat,  Kilpatrick  seems  to  have 
been  born  to  become  a  very  demi-god  of  cavalry. 
Daringly  heroic  on  the  field,  he  displayed  a  supreme 
genius  for  war,  especially  for  that  department  of  the 
service  whose  alarum  cry  is,  'To  horse!'  and  whose 
sweeping  squadrons,  with  wild  clatter  of  hoofs,  seem 
to  the  fervid  imagination  to  be  making  a  race  for 
glory,  even  though  it  be  through  the  gates  of  death. 

"It  is  quite  in  keeping  with  everything  about  Kil- 
patrick that  he  should  choose  the  cavalry  as  a  vehicle 
for  his  high  ambition  and  noble  patriotism.  Such 
energies  as  his  could  scarcely  be  content  with  less  dash 
or  less  brilliance  of  action.  The  beginning  of  his  war 
career  was  one  of  romance,  and  his  previous  life  indi- 


358  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

cated  an  unusual  range  of  abilities.  He  first  figures  03 
the  boy-orator,  speaking  in  favor  of  a  Congressional 
candidate,  with  all  the  fresh  warmth  and  enthusiasm 
of  his  young  nature.  Then  we  see  him  as  cadet  at 
West  Point,  from  which  he  graduates  fifteenth  in  his 
class  and  is  given  the  honor  of  valedictorian.  The  day 
of  graduation  is  hastened  a  few  months  by  the  startling 
guns  of  Sumter,  which  proclaim  treason  rampant,  and 
fire  all  loyal  breasts  with  a  desire  to  rush  to  the  rescue 
of  their  country's  beloved  flag.  The  impatience  and 
enthusiasm  of  Kilpatrick  could  not  be  restrained,  and 
through  his  influence  a  petition  was  signed  by  thirty- 
seven  of  his  class  to  be  allowed  to  graduate  at  once  and 
go  to  the  front.  The  request  was  granted,  and  that 
day  was  one  of  especial  significance  at  West  Point. 
It  was  also  one  of  equal  significance  in  his  life;  for  the 
little  chapel,  where  had  rung  out  the  words  of  his 
farewell  address,  aJso  witnessed  the  sacred  ceremony 
of  his  marriage  with  the  lady  of  his  love,  and  on  that 
evening  the  young  soldier  and  his  bride  took  the  train 
for  Washington  and  the  front.  We  know  little  of  the 
bride  except  that  she  was  enshrined  in  her  husband's, 
heart,  and  that  her  name — 'Alice' — was  inscribed  on 
the  silken  banner  under  which  lie  fought,  and  so 
gloriously  led  his  troopers  to  victory  and  renown.  No 
one  can  tell  how  much  that  name  may  have  had  to  do 
with  his  future  marvelous  success.  To  natures  like 
his,  the  magic  of  a  name  thus  loved,  fluttering  aloft 
in  the  smoke  of  battle,  becomes  talismanic,  and  inspires 
almost  superhuman  heroism." 

"When  McDowell  marched  to  Falmouth,  he  was 
once  more  at  the  front,  and,  in  conjunction  with  Col- 


«HEROLS  OF  THREE   WARS.  359 

onel   Bayard   and   the    First   Pennsylvania   Cavalry, 
made  a  brilliant  night-attack  on  Falmouth  Heights, 
routing  Lee's  cavalry  and  capturing  the  place.     For 
this   dashing    achievement    Kilpatrick    received    the 
thanks  of  the  commanding  general.     Afterwards,  un- 
der Pope's  command,  he  made  his  first  famous  raid  in 
breaking  up 'Stonewall 'Jackson's  line  of  communication 
with   Richmond  from  Gordonsvillc  in  the  Shcnandoah 
Valley,  over  the  Virginia  Central  Railway.    At  Beaver 
~Dam,   Frederick's    Hall,   and   Hanover  Junction,   he 
burned  the  stations,  destroyed  the  tracks,  and  daringly 
attacked   the   enemy    wherever    he    could    find    him. 
These  events  took  place  during  July  and  August,  1862, 
and  the  boldness  of  the  operations,  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  enemy's  country,  filled  the  North  with  Kilpat- 
rick's  fame.  ..... 

"  When  Hooker  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  cavalry  was  reorganized 
under  Stoneman  as  chief,  and  that  general,  in  the 
following  campaign,  assigned  to  Kilpatrick  the  work 
of  destroying  the  railroad  and  bridges  over  the  Chicka- 
hominy.  Four  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  given  him 
for  the  work  ;  but  with  this  small  force  he  brought  to 
the  difficult  mission  his  usual  skill,  and,  avoiding 
large  forces  of  the  enemy,  raided  to  within  two  miles 
of  Richmond,  where  he  captured  '  Lieutenant  Brown, 
aide-de-camp  to  General  Winder,  and  eleven  men 
within  the  fortifications.'  He  says:  'I  then  passed 
down  to  the  left  to  the  Meadow  Bridge  on  the  Chicka- 
hominy,  which  I  burned,  ran  a  train  of  cars  into  the 
river,  retired  to  Hanover-town  on  the  Peninsula, 
crossed  just  in  time  to  check  the  advance  of  a  pur- 
suing cavalry  force,  burned  a  train  of  thirty  wagons 


360  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

loaded  with  bacon,  captured  thirteen  prisoners,  and 
encamped  for  the  night  five  miles  from  the  river.' 
This  was  the  manner  of  his  conquering  quest,  until 
on  the  seventh  he  again  struck  the  Union  lines  at 
Gloucester  Point,  having  made  a  march  of  about  'two 
hundred  miles  in  less  than  five  days,  and  captured  and 
paroled  over  eight  hundred  prisoners.'  In  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  splendid  feat  he  lost  only  one  officer 
and  thirty-seven  men. 

"At  Chancellorsville,  when  Lee  came  into  Maryland 
and  massed  his  cavalry  at  Beverly  Ford,  Pleasonton 
was  sent  forward  on  a  reconnoissance,and  met  the  enemy 
in  battle  at  Brandy  Station.  This  is  renowned  as  the 
greatest  cavalry  battle  of  the  war.  General  Gregg 
arrived  upon  the  field  at  half-past  ten  in  the  morning, 
and  though  his  noble  squadrons  fought  well  and 
bravely,  these  columns  were  rolled  back,  and  for  a 
moment,  all  seemed  lost,  and  overwhelmed  by  the 
superior  numbers  of  the  foe.  But  at  this  crisis,  Kil- 
patrick,  posted  on  a  slight  rise  of  ground,  unrolled  his 
battle-flag  to  the  breeze,  and  his  bugles  sounded  the 
charge.  He  had  under  his  command,  the  Harris  Light, 
Tenth  New  York,  and  First  Maine.  The  formation 
for  an  onset  was  quickly  made,  and  the  disciplined 
squadrons  of  these  three  regiments  were  hurled  upon 
the  enemy.  But  the  Tenth  New  York  recoiled  before 
the  murderous  fire  of  the  enemy's  carbines.  So  did  the 
Harris  Light.  Kilpatrick  was  maddened  at  the  sight. 
He  rushed  to  the  head  of  the  First  Maine  regiment, 
shouting,  '  Men  of  Maine,  you  must  save  the  day ! ' 
Under  the  impulse  of  this  enthusiasm,  they  became 
altogether  resistless,  and  in  conjunction  with  the  re- 
formed squadrons  of  the  two  other  regiments,  swept 


"HEROES  OF  THREE  WARS."  361 

the  enemy  before  them,  and  plucked  victory,  with 
glorious  valor,  from  the  very  jaws  of  defeat.  On  the 
next  day  Kilpatrick  was  made  brigadier-general. " 

Having  presented  extracts  from  "  Heroes  of  Three 
Wars,"  and  ventured  to  express,  incidentally  and  briefly 
our  own  humble  opinion  of  the  merits  of  this  work,  we 
will  now,  in  confirmation  of  our  judgment,  give  some 
reviews  of  the  Press — a  few  out  of  many.  Throughout 
the  North  the  work  was  hailed  with  not  a  little  en- 
thusiasm, by  soldiers  and  civilians  alike — as  a  work 
of  decided  literary  merit,  and  one  written  in  a  fair, 
truthful,  and  loyal  spirit,  replete  with  much  valuable 
historical  information  of  a  character  not  otherwise  easily 
attainable,  and  calculated  to  accomplish  much  good 
among  the  rising  generation. 

The  Boston  Transcript  says: 

"  The  bivouac,  the  march,  the  hand-to-hand  conflict  with  brist- 
ling steel,  the  head-long  charge,  the  ignominious  retreat,  and  the 
battle-field  after  the  bloody  assault,  with  its  dead  and  wounded 
heroes,  are  all  excellently  portrayed,  and  witli  an  ease  and  vigor 
of  style  that  lend  a  peculiar  charm  to  the  book,  and  rivet  the  atten- 
tion of  the  reader  from  cover  to  cover.  It  is  really  refreshing  to 
meet  with  such  a  work  as  this  in  these  degenerate  days  of  namby- 
pamby  novels,  so  enervating  to  mind  and  morals.  Captain  Glazier's 
work  elevates  the  ideas,  and  infuses  a  spirit  of  commendable  patriot- 
ism into  the  young  mind,  by  showing  the  youth  of  the  country  how 
nobly  men  could  die  for  the  principles  they  cherished  and  the  land 
they  loved." 

The  Chicago  Inter- Ocean  writes  as  follows: 

"  It  is  correct  in  facts,  graphic  in  its  delineations,  and  in  all  its 
makeup  is  a  most  admirable  volume.  It  will  do  the  young  men,  and 
even  those  older,  good  to  glance  at  these  pages  and  read  anew  the 
perils  and  hardships  and  sacrifices  which  have  been  made  by  the 
loyal  men  who  met  and  overthrew  in  battle  the  nation's  enemies. 


362  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

The  book  is  of  absorbing  interest  as  a  record  of  brave  deeds  by  ns 
brave  and  heroic  men  as  ever  answered  a  bugle's  call.  The  author 
writes  no  fancy  sketch.  He  has  the  smoke  and  scars  of  battle  in 
every  sentence.  He  answered  roll-call  and  mingled  amid  the  ex- 
citing events  he  relates.  No  writer,  even  the  most  praised  corre- 
spondents of  the  foreign  journals,  have  given  more  vivid  descriptions 
Foul-stirring  in  their  simple  truthfulness,  than  Captain  Glazier  in  his 
'Heroes  of  Three  Wars.'  " 

The  Baltimore  Sun  writes: 

"'Heroes  of  Three  Wars'  is  written  by  the  masterly  hand  of  one 
who  lias  evidently  enjoyed  a  personal  acquaintance  with  many  of 
the  subjects  introduced,  and  is  not  only  thoroughly  imbued  with  the 
spirit  of  his  work,  but  a<?  thoroughly  inspires  his  readers.  Captain 
Glazier  has  familiarized  himself  with  all  of  the  details  of  interest 
in  the  lives  of  a  grand  galaxy  of  heroes,  and  has  put  on  paper,  in  a 
condensed  and  graphic  form,  a  clear  picture  of  what  he  has  treas- 
ured up  in  his  own  mind.  We  know  of  no  book  that  contains  ?o 
faithful  a  presentation  of  our  brave  defenders  in  so  condensed  and 
satisfactory  a  form." 

The  Philadelphia  Times  observes : 

"The  soldier-author  does  his  work  in  an  artless,  patriotic,  beautiful 
style,  and  gives  to  his  readers  a  real  and  not  an  imaginary  idea  of 
army  life  in  all  its  lights  and  shades.  Captain  Glazier  has  laid  his 
countrymen  under  lasting  obligations  to  him,  especially  in  this  new 
boak,  Heroes  of  Three  Wars.' " 

The  Cincinnati  Enquirer  remarks  : 

"Captain  Glazier  rises  above  the  conventional  war-writers'  idioms, 
*nd  gives  his  work  a  place  in  literature  and  history.  Here  is  found 
the  stern  actuality  of  war's  fearful  tug;  here  the  beautiful  pathos  of 
pure  manly  sentiment  flowing  from  the  heart  of  many  a  brave  soul 
on  the  battle's  eve  ;  here  the  scenes  of  sad  and  solemn  burial  where 
warriors  weep.  The  din  of  battle  on  one  page,  and  the  jest  at  the 
peril  past  on  the  next — the  life-test  and  the  comedy  of  camp — these 
alternatingly  checker  the  work  over,  and  give  the  reader  a  truer 
insight  into  the. perils  and  privations  of  our  brave  defenders  than 
any  book  we  have  read." 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Frotp  Soston  to  San  Francisco. — An  unparalleled  ride. — Object  of 
tho  journey. — Novel  lecture  tour. — Captain  Frank  M.  Clark. — 
"  Echoes  from  the  Revolution." — Lecture  at  Tremont  Temple. — 
Captain  Theodore  L.  Kelly. — A  success. — Proceeds  of  lecture. — 
Edward  F.  Rollins. — Extracts  from  first  lecture. — Press  notices. 

THE  story  of  the  career  of  Willard  Glazier  will  not 
be  complete  without  some  description  of  his 
novel  and  adventurous  feat  of  riding  on  horseback 
across  the  continent  of  North  America — literally  from 
ocean  to  ocean,  or  from  Boston  to  San  Francisco. 
This  unparalleled  ride  was  satisfactorily  accomplished 
by  him  in  1876 — the  Centennial  year.  It  was  a 
long  and  trying  journey,  extending  over  a  period  of 
two  hundred  days,  and  a  distance  of  four  thousand 
one  hundred  and  thirty-three  miles,  but  at  the  same 
time  a  journey  of  great  interest.  His  object  was  to 
study,  at  comparative  leisure,  the  line  of  country 
through  which  he  would  pass,  and  to  note  the  habits 
and  condition  of  the  people  he  came  in  contact  with. 
The  knowledge  thus  laboriously  acquired  he  purposed 
placing  before  the  public  in  book  form. 

While  thus  in  the  commendable  pursuit  of  knowl- 
edge, he  also  contemplated  making  some  practical 
return  for  the  many  kindnesses  and  courtesies  he  had 
received  at  the  hands  of  soldiers  since  the  disband- 
ment  of  the  volunteer  army,  and  the  wide  circulation 
27  (363; 


3(54  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

of  the  first  product  of  his  pen,  "The  Capture,  Prison- 
Pen  and  Escape;"  and  it  had  occurred  to  him  that  to 
accomplish  this  he  might  turn  his  journey  to  beneficial 
account  by  lecturing  at  the  various  towns  he  visited, 
and  handing  over  the  proceeds  to  the  widows'  and 
orphans'  fund  of  the  "  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic," 
of  which  patriotic  society  he  was  a  member;  or  to  some 
other  benevolent  military  organization. 

The  thought  no  sooner  entered  his  mind  than,  with 
his  usual  promptitude,  the  resolution  was  formed,  and, 
with  the  following  letter  of  introduction  from  Captaiu 
Frank  M.  Clark,  of  New  York,  he  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  Boston : 

4  IRVING  PLACE,  | 

NEW  YORK,  April  20,  1876.  ) 

To  COMRADES  OF  THE  G.  A.  R.  : 

I  have  been  intimately  acquainted  with  Captain  Willard  Glazier, 
a  comrade  in  good  standing  of  Post  No.  29,  Department  of  New 
York,  "Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,"  for  the  past  eight  years, 
and  know  him  to  be  worthy  the  confidence  of  every  loyal  man. 
He  is  an  intelligent  and  courteous  gentleman,  an  author  of  good 
repute,  a  soldier  whose  record  is  without  a  stain,  and  a  true  comrade 
of  the  "  Grand  Army."  I  bespeak  for  him  the  earnest  and  cordial 
support  of  all  comrades  of  the  Order. 

Yours  very  truly  in  F.,  C.  and  L., 
FRANK  M.  CLAKK, 

LatP  A.  A.  (J.  Dcpartrm-nt  of  New  Y,,  k.<5.  A.  K. 

On  the  evening  of  the  eighth  of  May,  1876,  our  hero 
delivered  a  lecture  at  Tremont  Temple,  Boston,  apro- 
pos of  the  Centennial  year,  entitled  "  Echoes  from  the 
Revolution.  This  was  the  first  occasion  of  any  im- 
pprtance  on  which  he  had  ever  appeared  on  the  ros- 
frun}.  It  may  here  l>e  mentioned  that  his  friends 
Strongly  recommended  him  to  deliver  the  first  lecture 
tjefore  a,  smajler  a.iid  less  critical  audience  than  he 


366  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

would  be  likely  to  confront  in  Boston,  and  thus  pre- 
pare himself  for  a  later  appearance  in  the  literary  cap- 
ital ;  but  our  soldier  reasoned  that  as  lecturing  was  a 
new  experience  to  him,  his  military  education  dic- 
tated that,  if  he  could  carry  the  strongest  works  the 
weaker  along  the  line  would  fall,  as  a  matter  of  course; 
and  so  resolved  to  deliver  his  first  lecture  in  Tremont 
Temple.  The  lecture,  as  we  have  said,  had  been 
prepared  with  a  view  to  its  delivery  at  various  towns 
and  cities  on  the  route  he  contemplated  traveling. 
He  was  introduced  to  his  Boston  audience  by  Captain 
Theodore  L.  Kelly,  Commander  of  Post  15,  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  and  was  honored  by  the  pres- 
ence on  the  platform  of  representatives  from  nearly 
all  the  Posts  of  Boston.  Captain  Kelly  introduced  his 
comrade  in  the  following  complimentary  manner : 

"  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN  :  It  gives  me  pleasure  to 
have  the  honor  of  introducing  to  you  one  who,  by  his 
services  in  the  field  and  by  the  works  of  his  pen,  is 
entitled  to  your  consideration,  and  the  confidence  of  the 
comrades  of  the  'Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.'  I  desire 
to  say  that  he  comes  well  accredited,  furnished  with 
the  proper  vouchers  and  documents,  and  highly  en- 
dorsed and  recommended  by  the  officers  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  State  of  New  York.  Though  young  in 
years,  his  life  has  been  one  of  varied  and  exciting 
experience.  Born  in  the  wilds  of  St.  Lawrence  County, 
New  York,  his  education  was  drawn  from  the  great 
book  of  nature;  and  from  his  surroundings  he  early 
injbibed  a  love  of  liberty.  His  early  associations 
naturally  invested  him  with  a  love  of  adventure  and 
excitement,  and  when  the  call  of  war  was  heard  he 
at  once  responded,  and  enlisted  in  the  Harris  Light  Cav- 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         367 

airy,  with  which  corps  he  passed  through  many  exciting 
scenes  of  march  and  fray.  His  experience  arnid  the 
various  vicissitudes  of  the  war,  in  camp  and  field  and 
prison,  have  been  vividly  portrayed  by  his  pen  in  his 
various  publications.  Still  inspired  by  this  love  of 
adventure,  he  proposes  to  undertake  the  novelty  of  a 
journey  across  the  continent  in  the  saddle.  His  objects 
are  manifold.  While  visiting  scenes  and  becoming 
more  familiar  with  his  own  country,  he  will  collect 
facts  and  information  for  a  new  book,  and  at  his  vari- 
ous stopping-places  he  will  lecture  under  the  auspices 
and  for  the  benefit  of  the  'Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic,' to  whose  fraternal  regard  he  is  most  warmly  com- 
mended. Allow  me  then,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  with- 
out further  ceremony,  to  present  to  you  the  soldier- 
author,  and  our  comrade,  Willard  Glazier." 

The  lecture  proved  a  success  both  financially  and  in 
the  marked  pleasure  with  which  it  was  received  by  a 
very  select  audience.  In  fulfilment  of  his  generous 
purpose  in  the  application  of  the  proceeds,  Glazier  on 
the  succeeding  morning  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Assist- 
ant Adjutant-General,  Department  of  Massachusetts, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  in  the  following  words: 

REVERE  HOUSE,  BOSTON,  MASS.,  ) 
May  9<A,  1876.      ) 

CAPTAIN  CHARLES  W.  THOMPSON, 

A.  A.  G.  Department  of  Massachusetts,  G.  A.  R. 
COMRADE:  I  take  pleasure  in  handing  you  the  net  proceeds  of 
my  lecture  delivered  at  Tremont  Temple  last  night,  which  I  desire 
to  be  divided  equally  between  Posts  7  and  15,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Boston,  for 
the  benefit  of  our  disabled  comrades,  and  the  needy  and  destitute 
wards  of  the  "Grand  Army."  Gratefully  acknowledging  many 
favors  and  courtesies  extended  to  me  in  your  patriotic  city, 

I  am  yours  in  F.,  C.  and  L., 
WILLARD  GLAZIER. 


368  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

To  this  the  following  response  was  received  : 

HEADQUARTERS,  ENCAMPMENT  JOHN  A.  ANDREW, 


ts,  ENCAMPMENT  JOHN  A.  ANDREW,  "j 
POST  15,  DEPT.  OF  MASS.,  G.  A.  R.,      > 
BOSTON,  May  I2lh,  1876.  J 


CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER: 

COMRADE  :  In  obedience  to  a  vote  of  this  Post,  I  am  pleased  to 
transmit  to  you  a  vote  of  thanks  for  the  money  generously  donated 
by  you,  through  our  Commander,  as  our  quota  of  the  proceeds  of  your 
lecture  in  this  city;  and  also  the  best  wishes  of  the  comrades  of  this 
Post  for  you  personally,  and  for  the  success  of  your  lecture  tour 
from  sea  to  sea.  Yours  in  F.,  C.  and  L., 

EDWARD  F.  ROLLINS, 

Adjutant  of  Post. 

We  have  said  the  lecture  was  a  success,  and  as  an  evi- 
dence of  the  appreciation  by  the  audience  of  its  subject, 
and  the  manner  of  its  delivery,  together  with  the 
friendly  feeling  manifested  towards  the  lecturer,  we 
adduce  the  following : 

DEPARTMENT  OF  MASS., 
"  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic." 
To  Captain  Willard  Glazier:  BOSTON,  June  16lh,  1876. 

DEAR  SIR  AND  COMRADE: 

The  undersigned  comrades  of  "John  A.  Andrew  "  Encampment, 
Post  15,  Department  of  Massachusetts,  G.  A.  R.,  desire  to  testify  to 
the  pleasure  afforded  them  by  your  lecture  delivered  at  Tremont 
Temple  on  May  8th  ;  also,  to  return  their  thanks  for  the  liberal  do- 
nation presented  to  this  Post ;  and  at  the  same  time  to  express  the 
hope  that  you  may  be  successful  in  your  object  and  journey. 

[Signed.] 

THEODORE  L.  KELLY, Commander.  THOMAS  LANGHAM. 
EDWARD  F.  ROLLINS,  Adjutant.    J.  HENRY  BROWN. 
W.  BROOKS  FROTHINGHAM.  GEORGE  W.  POWERS,  Chaplain. 

JAMES  T.  PRICE.  ROBERT  W.  STORER,  Q.  M.  S. 

FRANK  BOWMAN.  OLIVER  DOWNING. 

THEODORE  L.  BAKER.  JAMES  MCLEAN. 

WTILLIAM  S.  WALLINGFORD. 

Before  proceeding  with  our  account  of  the  journey, 
let  us  dwell  for  a  moment  upon  the  features  of  the 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         369 

lecture  prepared  by  Willard  Glazier  for  delivery  at 
Boston.  As  might  have  been  expected,  it  was  a  mili- 
tary-historical lecture,  adapted  to  the  understanding 
and  taste  of  a  mixed  and  educated  audience,  and  was 
written  in  the  same  earnest,  original,  patriotic  and 
rousing  style  that  characterizes  his  writings  throughout. 
Some  parts  of  this  lecture,  in  our  opinion,  are  worthy 
of  comparison  with  the  oratorical  deliverances  of  emi- 
nent and  practised  lecturers,  and  that  the  reader  may 
judge  for  himself  if  the  "Echoes  of  the  Revolution" 
lose  aught  of  their  sonorousness  at  this  distant  date, 
when  the  reverberation  reaches  them  through  a  lecture, 
we  here  present  an  abstract  of  the  opening : 

INTRODUCTORY. 

"The  year  1876  re-echoes  the  scenes  and  events  of 
a  hundred  years  ago.  In  imagination  we  make  a  pil- 
grimage back  to  the  Revolution.  We  visit  the  fields 
whereon  our  ancestors  fought  for  liberty  and  a  Re- 
public. We  follow  patriots  from  Lexington  to  York- 
town.  I  see  them  walking  through  a  baptism  of  blood 
and  of  fire ;  their  only  purpose  liberty ;  their  only  in- 
centive duty;  their  only  pride  their  country;  and  their 
only  ambition  victory.  I  see  them  with  Warren  and 
Prescott  at  Bunker  Hill ;  I  see  them  with  Washington 
at  Valley  Forge,  hatless,  without  shoes,  half-clad, 
and  often  without  food  ;  encamped  in  fields  of  snow ; 
patiently  enduring  the  rigors  of  a  northern  winter.  I 
see  them  pushing  their  way  through  the  ice  of  the 
Delaware.  I  see  them  at  Saratoga,  at  Bennington, 
at  Princeton,  and  at  Monmouth.  I  follow  Marion 
and  his  daring  troopers  through  the  swamps  of  Georgia 
and  the  Carol inas.  And,  finally,  we  come  to  that 


370  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

immortal  day  at  Yorktown,  when  Cornwallis  surren- 
dered his  sword  and  command  to  George  Washington. 
"All  the  world  is  familiar  with  the  causes  which  led 
to  the  struggle  for  independence  in  America.  We  all 
know  the  spirit  which  animated  the  people  of  the  Col- 
onies, from  the  seizure  of  Sir  Edmond  Andross  in 
1688  to  the  destruction  of  the  tea  in  Boston  harbor 
in  1774.  No  American  is  ignorant  of  the  efforts  of 
John  Hancock,  Samuel  Adams,  Joseph  Warren,  Pat- 
rick Henry,  Alexander  Hamilton,  Paul  Revere,  and 
others,  at  clubs,  in  newspapers,  in  pulpits,  in  the  streets, 
and  in  coffee-houses,  to  guide  and  prepare  the  people 
for  the  approaching  crisis.  All  the  facts  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  close  of  that  memorable  conflict  are 
given  in  school-books,  as  well  as  in  more  pretentious 
history.  But  the  immediate  cause  of  the  march  of 
the  English  troops  from  Boston  to  Concord  seems  to 
be  necessary  to  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  subject. 

"On  the  nineteenth  of  April,  1775,  a  handful  of  the 
yeomanry  of  Massachusetts,  obeying  a  common  impulse, 
came  hurriedly  together,  confronted  a  force  of  English 
regulars  outnumbering  them  ten  to  one,  received  their 
fire,  were  repulsed,  and  left  eighteen  of  their  number 
dead  and  wounded  on  the  green  in  front  of  Lexington. 
On  the  same  day,  at  Concord,  less  than  four  hundred 
undisciplined  militia  met  a  regiment  of  the  enemy, 
fired  upon  them,  put  them  to  flight,  and  compelled 
them  to  retire  to  their  intrenchments  at  Boston.  It 
was  the  first  step  in  that  war  which  gave  us  a  Republic, 
and  may  be  classed  in  history  as  one  of  the  decisive 
conflicts  of  modern  times. 

"  Lexington  and  Concord  were  not  the  great  battles 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         371 

of  the  Revolution ;  they  were,  in  fact,  only  skirmishes 
as  compared  with  the  more  sanguinary  actions;  but  I 
dwell  upon  them  as  the  opening  scenes,  the  starting- 
points,  where  the  first  shots  were  fired   in  an  eight 
years'  war  against  British  rule  and  British  oppression 
in  America.  ..... 

JOHN   STARK. 

"  Despair  was  turned  into  joy  by  the  telling  victories 
of  the  Americans  at  Trenton  and  Princeton,  and  the 
country  began  to  see  that  her  precious  blood  had  not 
been  spilled  in  vain.  Just  at  this  juncture  of  affairs, 
when  it  was  necessary  to  follow  up  the  tide  of  victory 
with  vigorous  work,  the  term  of  enlistment  of  most  of 
the  men  expired,  and  the  personal  popularity  and  in- 
fluence of  the  leaders  was  thus  put  to  the  test.  Would 
the  men  go,  or  could  they  be  induced  to  stay  through 
another  term  of  enlistment  before  seeking  the  respite 
they  desired  at  their  homes?  At  this  critical  period, 
John  Stark  made  an  earnest  appeal  to  his  regiment, 
and  every  man  without  exception  re-enlisted  for  six 
weeks  under  the  banner  of  their  beloved  leader.  Then 
Stark  went  to  New  Hampshire  for  recruits,  and  hun- 
dreds flocked  around  his  standard. 

•  •••*• 

a  Soon  after  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis,  General 
Stark  returned  once  more  to  his  home  and  farm.  He 
had  served  his  country  long  and  faithfully,  and  retired 
from  his  protracted  period  of  active  service  beloved 
by  the  people  and  full  of  honors.  He  lived  to  be 
ninety-four  years  old,  and  consequently  witnessed  the 
war  of  1812. 

"  He  sleeps  on  the  banks  of  the  Merrimac,  nor  heeds 
the  noisy  rush  of  the  river  as  it  speeds  on  its  mission 


372  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

to  the  sea.  No  clash  of  musketry,  no  roar  of  cannon 
will  ever  waken  him  more  from  his  last  deep  repose. 
Men  call  it  death,  but  if  it  be  death,  it  is  that  of  the 
body  only,  for  his  memory  still  lives  and  speaks  to  us 
across  the  years.  It  bids  us  be  noble  and  unselfish, 
and  high  of  purpose,  and  grand  of  aim.  Will  the  on- 
coming generations  who  con  the  story  of  the  life  of 
John  Stark  listen  to  the  preaching  of  such  an  example 
in  vain?  ..... 

PERORATION. 

"The  surrender  of  Cornwallis  may  be  considered 
the  closing  scene  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  The 
grim  spectre  of  British  rule  over  the  American  Col- 
onies vanished  like  the  smoke  of  battle,  while  hirelings 
were  trembling  and  the  patriot  was  prince.  That  was 
indeed  a  day  of  triumph — a  day  of  rejoicing.  It  was 
to  the  patriots  the  crown  of  all  their  efforts.  A  long, 
loud,  thrilling  shout  of  joy  arose  from  the  victorious 
band  of  Washington,  and  as  the  tidings  of  actual  sur- 
render were  borne  throughout  the  country,  the  people 
everywhere  broke  forth  in  wild  huzzahs  that  echoed 
and  re-echoed  along  the  plains  and  among  the  hills, 
from  the  lakes  to  the  gulf,  and1  from  the  Atlantic  to 
the  mountains.  There  was  joy  because  there  was  to 
be  no  more  needless  sacrifice  of  life;  because  the 
soldier  could  now  exchange  the  camp  for  his  home; 
the  implements  of  war  for  the  implements  of  industry  ; 
the  carnage  of  battle  for  the  amenities  of  peace. 

"The  work  for  which  they  buckled  on  the  armor 
was  accomplished.  They  did  not  rush  to  arms  for  the 
love  of  glory,  nor  to  ward  off  an  imaginary  foe.  They 
came  at  their  country's  call,  and  having  achieved  her 
independence,  they  were  now  ready  for  the  pursuits  of 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         373 

peace.  They  even  longed  for  the  coveted  seclusion 
of  their  homes,  and  the  sweet  security  of  their  firesides. 
I  see  them  now  marshaled  for  the  last  time  to  receive 
an  honorable  discharge  from  a  long  campaign,  the 
ensigns  of  victory  everywhere  above  them,  the  air 
vocal  with  the  benedictions  of  a  grateful  people.  But 
on  that  great  day  of  final  discharge,  at  the  last  roll- 
call,  the  heroes  were  not  all  there  to  answer  to  their 
names;  there  were  vacant  places  in  the  ranks.  In  the 
marching  and  counter-marching,  in  the  assault  and  in 
the  defence;  in  the  swamp  and  in  the  prison,  mid  the 
fever  and  the  pestilence,  the  patriots  faltered  not,  but 
fell  as  falls  the  hero,  nobly  daring,  bravely  dying,  and 
though  dead  they  are  not  forgotten :  their  works  do 
follow,  and  will  forever  live,  after  them.  ;  .  .  . 

"Justice  to  our  heroic  ancestors  does  not  forbid  ref- 
erence to  the  equally  gallant  '  Boys  in  Blue/  who  by 
their  invincible  valor  on  the  battle-fields  of  the  Rebel- 
lion preserved  the  unity  of  the  Republic. 

"  The  fight  is  done,  and  away  in  the  far  horizon  the 
glorious  days  are  waxing  dim.  Even  now,  it  is  the 
bearded  men  who  speak  of  Gettysburg;  and  children 
clasp  the  knees  that  marched  to  Corinth  and  Chicka- 
mauga.  Year  after  year  our  soldiers  meet  to  talk  of 
glory ;  and  year  by  year  their  ranks  grow  thinner, 
older,  grayer;  and,  by  and  by,  the  last  survivors  of 
the  war  for  the  Union  will  sleep  with. their  brothers 
who  fell  at  Bunker  Hill." 

The  press  of  Boston  were  highly  commendatory  in 
their  notices  of  the  lecture  and  its  delivery,  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  following  extract  from  the  Globe: 

"A  very  fair  audience,  considering  the  unfair  condition  of  the  el- 
ements, was  gathered  in  Tremont  Temple  last  night,  to  hear  Captain 


374  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Glazier's  lecture  upon  '  Echoes  from  the  Revolution.'  The  freqnent 
applause  of  the  audience  evinced  not  only  a  sympathy  with  the 
subject,  but  an  evident  liking  of  the  manner  in  which  it  was  deliv- 
ered. The  lecture  itself  was  a  retrospective  view  of  the  leading 
incidents  of  the  Revolution.  It  would  have  been  unfair  to  expect 
to  hear  anything  very  new  upon  a  subject  with  which  the  veriest 
school-boy  is  familiar ;  but  Captain  Glazier  wove  the  events  together 
in  a  manner  which  freed  the  lecture  from  that  most  unpardonable 
of  all  faults,  which  can  be  committed  upon  the  platform — dulness. 
He  passed  over,  in  his  consideration  of  the  Revolution,  the  old  scenes 
up  to  the  time  when  Cornwallis  surrendered  up  his  sword  and  com- 
mand to  George  Washington.  '  The  year  1876,'  said  Captain  Glazier, 
'  re-echoes  the  scenes  and  events  of  a  hundred  years  ago.  In  imagina- 
tion we  make  a  pilgrimage  back  to  the  Revolution.  We  visit  the 
fields  whereon  our  ancestors  fought  for  liberty  and  a  republic.  We 
follow  patriots  from  Lexington  to  Yorktown.  I  see  them  pushing 
their  way  through  the  ice  of  the  Delaware — I  see  them  at  Saratoga, 
at  Bennington,  at  Princeton,  and  at  Monmouth.  I  follow  Marion 
and  his  daring  troopers  through  the  swamps  of  Georgia  and  the 
Carolinas  ; '  and  in  following  them  up,  the  lecturer  interspersed  his 
exciting  narrative  with  sundry  droll  episodes.  Treating  of  the  battles 
of  Trenton  and  Princeton,  he  expatiated  upon  the  devoted  heroism 
of  John  Stark,  and  briefly  traced  his  career  until,  at  Bennington, 
Burgoyne's  victor  announced  to  his  comrades,  '  We  must  conquer 
to-day,  my  boys,  or  to-night  Molly  Stark's  a  widow.'  One  battle 
after  another  was  handled  by  the  lecturer  in  a  pleasing  manner, 
showing  that  he  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  subject  he  had 
chosen  for  his  theme.  After  speaking  in  a  most  zealous  manner  of 
the  troops  on  land,  Captain  Glazier  remarked  :  '  Our  victories  on 
the  ocean  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution  were  not  less  decisive 
and  glorious  than  those  achieved  on  land.  John  Paul  Jones  and 
the  gallant  tars  who,  tinder  his  leadership,  braved  the  dangers  of  the 
deep,  and  wrested  from  proud  Britain,  once  queen  of  the  sea,  that 
illustrious  motto  which  may  be  seen  high  on  our  banner  beside  the 
stars  and  stripes.' 

"Captain  Glazier  made  special  mention  of  the  naval  engagement 
between  the  Bon  Homme  Richard  and  the  British  man-of-war  Sera- 
pis,  which  took  place  in  September,  1789.  He  described  in  glowing 
words  the  fierce  nature  of  that  memorable  contest,  until  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Serapis,  with  his  own  hand,  struck  the  flag  of  England  to 
the  free  stars  and  stripes  of  young  America.  Captain  Glazier  has 
elements  in  him  which,  carefully  matured  and  nurtured,  will  make 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         375 

him  successful  on  the  platform,  as  he  has  already  proved  himself  in 
the  fields  of  literature.  He  has  a  strong  and  melodious  voice,  a 
gentlemanly  address,  and  unassuming  confidence.  He  was  presented 
to  the  audience  by  Commandant  Kelly,  of  Post  15,  'Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,'  in  a  brief  but  eloquent  speech.  Captain  Glazier 
will  start  on  his  long  ride  to  San  Francisco,  from  the  Revere  House, 
this  morning,  at  9.30,  and  will  be  accompanied  to  Bunker  Hill  and 
thence  to  Brighton,  by  several  distinguished  members  of  the 'Grand 
Army,'  and  other  gentlemen,  who  wish  the  captain  success  on  his 
long  journey." 

The  Boston  Post  said  : 

"  The  lecturer  spoke  with  a  soldier's  enthusiasm  of  those  stirring 
times.  In  a  very  eloquent  manner  he  traced  the  movements  of  the 
Revolutionary  heroes  from  that  day  in  April,  1775,  when  the  undis- 
ciplined militia  at  Concord  put  the  red-coats  to  flight  and  forced 
them  to  retire  to  their  entrenchments  at  Boston,  onward  through 
the  various  battles  to  the  surrender  of  Corn  wall  is.  The  different 
acts  passed  in  rapid  succession  before  the  audience,  and  were  enliv- 
ened with  interesting  details.  In  touching  upon  the  different 
battles,  the  lecturer  descanted  upon  the  more  eminent  individuals 
whom  the  fate  of  war  and  opportunity  brought  to  the  front,  and  en- 
shrined forever  in  the  gallery  of  patriots.  Bunker  Hill  came  in  for 
especial  notice,  where  '  many  brave  and  noble  men  gave  up  their 
lives.'.  .  .  . 

"  Captain  Glazier  was  frequently  and  loudly  applauded  during  the 
delivery  of  his  lecture.  His  voice  is  rich  and  powerful,  his  intona- 
tion accurate,  and  his  general  manner  could  not  help  imparting 
Interest  to  the  stirring  deeds  which  he  so  graphically  delineated." 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

PROM    BOSTON   TO   CHICAGO. 

In  the  saddle. — Bunker  Hill. — Arrives  in  Albany. — Reminiscences. 
— The  Soldiers'  Home. — Contributions  for  erecting  Soldiers' 
Home. — Reception  at  Rochester. — Buffalo. — Dunkirk. — Swan- 
ville. — Cleveland. — Massacre  of  General  Custer. — Monroe. — 
Lectures  for  Custer  Monument. — Father  of  General  Custer. — 
Detroit. — Kalamazoo. — An  adventure. — Gives  "Paul  Revere"  a 
rest. — Decatur. — Niles. — Michigan  City. — Chicago. 

FROM  a  journal  kept  by  Captain  Glazier  during 
his  horseback  ride  from  ocean  to  ocean,  we  shall 
gather  most  of  the  incidents  of  his  journey — a  journey, 
so  far  as  we  are  aware,  without  any  precedent,  and 
having  for  its  sole  object  the  acquirement  of  knowledge. 
His  intention  was  to  lecture  in  the  leading  cities  and 
villages  through  which  he  passed,  in  the  interest  of  the 
relief  fund  of  the  "Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,"  to 
which  order  he  was  greatly  attached. 

The  Boston  Globe  of  May  ninth,  1876,  contained  the 
following  brief  notice: 

"BOSTON  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. — Captain  Willard  Glazier  started 
from  the  Revere  House  this  morning  at  eleven  o'clock,  on  horseback, 
for  San  Francisco.  Quite  a  gathering  of  his  friends  and  comrades 
of  the  '  Grand  Army '  were  present  to  wish  him  God-speed.  He 
was  escorted  by  Colonel  John  F.  Finley  and  E.  A.  Williston,  who 
were  mounted ;  and  Adjutant-General  Charles  W.  Thompson,  De- 
partment of  Massachusetts,  'G.  A.  R. ;'  Commander  Theo.  L.  Kelly, 
of  Post  15;  Adjutant  Grafton  Fenno,  of  Post  7,  and  many  others 
in  carriages,  who  will  accompany  him  to  Bunker  Hill  and  thence 
to  Brighton." 
(376) 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.    377 

The  Captain's  horse,  which  he  had  named  "Paul 
Revere,"  was  a  noble  creature,  black  as  jet,  of  good 
pedigree,  and  possessing,  in  no  slight  measure,  the  ster- 
ling qualities  of  endurance,  pace,  and  fidelity,  albeit 
occasionally  somewhat  restive  and  wilful. 

On  leaving  the  "  Revere,"  the  party  referred  to  in 
the  above  notice  proceeded  to  Bunker  Hill,  gazed  rev- 
erentially at  the  monument  commemorating  the  famous 
battle,  and  then  headed  for  Brighton.  The  short  jour- 
ney had  been  rendered  comfortless  by  a  continuous 
downfall  of  rain,  and  when  the  friends  halted  at  the 
Cattle-Fair  Hotel  for  dinner,  they  were  all  more  or 
less  drenched  to  the  skin. 

Much  cordial  interest  was  manifested  in  the  work 
the  captain  had  undertaken  and  the  motives  that 
actuated  him ;  and  at  length,  taking  leave  of  his 
friendly  escort,  he  pushed  forward  through  Worcester, 
Springfield,  Pittsfield,  Nassau,  and  on  to  Albany,  cov- 
ering a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles.  At  Beckett 
he  found  " Paul's"  back  becoming  sore,  and  as  a  good 
rider  is  always  humane  to  his  horse,  he  removed  the 
saddle,  washed  the  abrasion  with  cold  water,  and  before 
resuming  his  journey  put  a  blanket  under  the  saddle- 
cloth, which  kindly  care  afforded  "  Paul "  considerable 
relief.  At  Pittsfield,  Glazier  delivered  his  fourth  lec- 
ture in  the  Academy  of  Music,  being  introduced  to  his 
audience  by  Captain  Brewster,  Commander  of  the 
Pittsfield  Post,"Grand  Army  of  the  Republic." 

His  journey  from  Pittsfield  was  by  the  Boston  and 
Albany  Turnpike,  over  the  Pittsfield  Mountain,  pass- 
ing the  residence  of  Honorable  Samuel  J.  Tilden,  then 
Governor  of  New  York,  and  a  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
dency. Starting  from  Nassau  at  eleven  o'clock,  he. 
28 


378  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

reached  the  old  Barringer  Homestead  soon  after.  It 
was  with  this  family  that  he  had  spent  his  first  night 
in  Rensselaer  County,  sixteen  years  before,  when  look- 
ing for  a  school  to  teach,  and  he  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  to  stop  a  few  minutes  at  Brock  way's,  where 
he  had  boarded  the  first  week  after  entering  the  school 
at  Schodack  Centre  as  a  teacher.  At  the  hotel  he 
found  Mrs.  Lewis,  the  landlady,  awaiting  his  approach, 
as  she  had  been  told  he  would  pass  that  way.  He  also 
halted  for  a  moment  at  his  old  school-house,  where  he 
found  Miss  Libby  Brock  way,  one  of  the  youngest  of 
his  old  scholars,  teaching  the  school.  "  Thoughts  of 
Rip  Van  Winkle,"  he  says,  "flitted  across  my  imagi- 
nation as  I  contrasted  the  past  with  the  present." 

On  the  eighteenth  of  May  Captain  Glazier  reached 
the  fine  old  city  of  Albany,  capital  of  his  native  State, 
and  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day  delivered  his  fifth 
lecture  at  Tweddle  Hall. 

Thrilling  memories  awaited  him  in  Albany.  Here, 
in  1859,  he  entered  the  State  Normal  School.  It  was 
here  his  patriotism  was  aroused  by  intelligence  of  the 
firing  upon  Fort  Sumter,  and  he  at  once  formed  the 
resolution  to  enter  the  army  in  defence  of  the  Union  ; 
and  it  was  in  Albany  that  the  first  edition  of  his  first 
book  saw  the  light  through  the  press  of  Joel  Munsell,  in 
the  autumn  of  1865.  Here,  it  may  be  said,  his  career 
111  life  commenced,  when,  leaving  his  country  home 
in  Northern  New  York,  he  entered  the  Normal 
School. 

The  erection  of  a  Soldiers'  Home  having  been  re- 
cently projected,  Glazier  called  on  the  adjutant-general 
at  the  State  House,  in  relation  to  his  lecturing  in  the 
interest  of  the  fund  for  that  purpose.  Colonel  Tavlor, 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN   ON  HORSEBACK.         379 

assistant  adjutant-general,  whom  he  had  known  for 
some  years,  presented  hiui  to  General  Townsend,  and 
he  was  recommended  to  see  and  consult  with  Captain 
John  Palmer,  Past  Grand  Commander  of  the  State, 
G.  A.  R. 

Nothing  can  better  prove  the  disinterested  motives 
and  objects  of  Willard  Glazier  in  undertaking  his  long 
and  tedious  journey  on  horseback,  than  the  numerous 
voluntary  offerings  he  made  to  certain  military  organ- 
izations whose  claims  so  forcibly  presented  themselves 
to  him.  This  was  simply  characteristic  of  him.  He 
has  never  valued  money  but  for  the  practical  uses  to 
which  it  may  be  applied  in  the  amelioration  of  the  con- 
dition of  others.  Simple  in  his  habits,  and  unostenta- 
tious in  his  mode  of  life — indulging  in  no  luxuries — 
he  has  managed  by  sheer  hard  work  to  accumulate  a 
fair  fortune,  which  is  of  value  to  him  only  so  far  as  he 
can  do  good  with  it — first  to  those  having  the  strongest 
domestic  claims  upon  him,  and  secondly,  to  his  com- 
rades of  the  camp  and  the  battle-field. 

The  following  letters  will  explain  themselves : 

ALBANY,  NEW  YORK,  \ 
May  2Sth,  1876.  / 
CAPTAIN  JOHN  PALMER,  Past  Grand  Commander, 

Department  of  New  York,  G.  A.  R. 

DEAR  SIR  AND  COMRADE:  I  feel  great  pleasure  in  handing  you 
herewith,  forty  dollars,  which  I  wish  to  be  applied  to  the  fund  for 
the  erection  of  a  Soldiers'  Home,  as  lately  proposed  by  our  comrades 
at  Brooklyn.  Should  it  be  your  pleasure  to  endorse  my  lecture 
tour  across  the  State,  I  feel  confident  that  I  could  raise  from  five 
hundred  to  a  thousand  dollars  for  this  most  worthy  object.  Pledg- 
ing my  best  efforts  in  the  work,  which  I  hope  I  need  scarcely  add, 
enlists  my  warmest  sympathies,  I  have  the  honor  to  remain, 
Yours  in  F.,  C.  and  L., 

WILLARD  GLAZIEB. 


380  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Captain    Palmer,  in   acknowledging   the   donation, 
wrote  as  follows : 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  NEW  YORK,  1 
"Grand  Army  of  the  Republic," 

ALBANY,  May  31st,  1876.     J 
CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER: 

COMRADE:  Your  gift  of  forty  dollars  to  the  fund  for  the  erection 
of  the  "Soldiers'  Home  "  is  duly  received,  and  the  same  has  been 
forwarded  to  Captain  E.  O.  Parkinson,  Chairman  Soldiers'  Home 
Committee,  Brooklyn,  New  York,  for  which  accept  my  thanks. 
Very  truly  yours,  in  F.,  C.  and  L., 

JOHN  PALMER, 
Department  Commander. 

On  the  twenty-second  of  May, " '  Paul '  being  in  good 
condition  and  the  best  of  spirits,"  onr  soldier-authoi 
started  for  Schenectady,  paying  his  respects  to  Captain 
Palmer  on  his  way  up  Washington  Avenue.     Schenec 
tady  was  reached  at  four  o'clock  P.  M.  through   fre 
quent  showers  of  rain.     Putting  up  at  Gwinn's  Hotel 
he  delivered  his  lecture  at  Union  Hall  at  the  usua 
hour  in  the  evening,  to  a  fair  audience,  notwithstaud 
ing  the  rain. 

The  Schenectady  Union  had  heralded  his  approach 
by  the  following  notice  : 

"  CAPTAIN  GLAZIER. — This  noted  soldier,  author,  rider,  and  raid** 
who  raided  during  the  war  with  General  Kilpatrick,  will  advano 
upon  this  place  next  Monday,  and  in  the  evening  lecture  upo 
'  Echoes  from  the  Revolution.'     Captain  Glazier  is  a  member  of  tn 
'  Grand  Army '  in  good  standing,  and  will  be  assisted  here  by  ti 
members  of  Post  14,  with  whom  he  will  divide  the  profits  of  tl »? 
lecture.     The  Captain  was  an  inmate  of  Libby  Prison  at  one  ti»  ••• 
during  the  war,  and  finally  made  his  escape  to  the  Union  lux-* 
The  book  entitled  'Capture,  Prison-Pen  and  Escape,'  and  sever* 
other  war  books,  were  produced  by  him." 

Reaching  Fonda,  May  twenty-sixth,  we  find  the  i  • 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         381 

lowing  entry  in  the  Journal:  "Scenery  charming.  I 
saw  nothing  in  Massachusetts  equal  to  the  Valley  of 
the  Mohawk,  and  am  surprised  that  novelist  and  poet 
have  not  found  more  material  here  for  legendary 
romance." 

Passing  through  St.  Johnsville,  Little  Falls,  Utica, 
and  Rome  —  where  he  met  a  large  number  of  his 
"  Grand  Army "  comrades,  and  was  introduced  to 
Hon.  H.  J.  Coggeshall,  Colonel  G.  A.  Cantine,  Hon. 
W.  T.  Bliss,  and  many  others — he  arrived  in  Syracuse 
June  second,  registered  at  the  Vanderbilt  House, 
and  lectured  at  Shakespere  Hall  in  the  evening. 
Rochester  was  reached  on  the  eighth,  where  the  tenth 
lecture  was  delivered  to  an  appreciative  audience  in 
Corinthian  Hall — the  introduction  being  made  by 
Colonel  Reynolds.  The  Rochester  Democrat  noticed 
the  lecture  in  the  following  paragraph  : 

"A  very  large  audience  assembled  at  Corinthian  Hall  last  evening 
to  listen  to  Captain  Willard  Glazier's  lecture  on  '  Echoes  from  the 
Revolution.'  The  lecture  was  a  very  interesting  one,  and  the  audi- 
ence were  agreeably  entertained.  Captain  Glazier  proposes  to  go  to 
Batavia,  and  from  thence  to  Buffalo.  He  is  meeting  with  deserved 
success  in  his  journey  on  horseback  from  ocean  to  ocean,  which  in- 
creases as  he  becomes  better  known." 

It  may  here  be  remarked  that  during  Captain  Glazier's 
stay  in  Rochester,  an  exception  was  made  to  the  usually 
courteous  reception  given  him  by  the  local  press.  One 
of  the  papers  threw  doubts  on  the  genuineness  of  his 
credentials  and  the  rectitude  of  his  motives.  This, 
however,  had  little  effect  on  him.  He  was  conscious 
of  his  own  integrity  of  purpose,  and  of  being  guided 
by  a  desire  to  do  good  while  seeking  knowledge  and 
recreation  in  <iis  own  way,  and  the  only  notice  wa  find 


382  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

of  the  circumstance  in  his  Journal  is  in  a  few  words 
under  date  of  June  eleventh :  "  Was  pleased  with  an 
article  in  the  Express,  contradicting  falsehoods  in  the 
Union." 
The  following  is  the  article  referred  to : 

"  On  Friday  our  evening  cotemporary  took  occasion  to  treat  Cap- 
tain Willard  Glazier,  who  lectured  in  Corinthian  Hall  the  night 
previous,  with  a  degree  of  contempt  and  misrepresentation  sug- 
gestive of  Confederate  sympathies  on  the  part  of  the  writer.  As  to 
the  methods  of  Captain  Glazier's  business  we  have  nothing  to  do. 
As  a  man  and  a  soldier,  he  is  above  reproach.  We  have  examined 
the  original  documentary  testimonials  to  his  military  character,  and 
no  man  could  be  better  endorsed.  That  he  has  devoted  himself 
since  the  war  to  illustrate  the  war  of  the  rebellion  in  books  and 
upon  the  rostrum  is  to  his  credit,  and  certainly  to  the  benefit  of  the 
people  whose  patriotism  he  keeps  alive  by  his  appeals  with  pen  and 
tongue.  Doubt  was  cast  upon  his  services  on  account  of  his  youth. 
But  the  fact  stands  that  Willard  Glazier  was  a  captain  of  cavalry  at 
the  age  of  eighteen,  certainly  a  higher  record  than  that  of  a  stay-at- 
home  Copperhead.  He  performed  his  duty,  was  honorably  dis- 
charged, and  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  that  noble  organiza- 
tion of  veterans,  the  'Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.'  We  trust 
that  when  Captain  Glazier  comes  again  to  Rochester,  he  will  have 
better  treatment  and  a  still  better  audience.  His  trip  across  the 
continent  will  result  in  the  public's  having  a  record  of  observations 
which  cannot  fail  to  be  valuable  and  entertaining." 

Batavia,  Croft's  Station,  Crittenden  and  Lancaster 
were  passed  through,  the  usual  courtesies  tendered  and 
accepted,  lectures  delivered  with  unvarying  success, 
and  the  city  of  Buffalo  reached  on  the  morning  of  the 
nineteenth  of  June. 

With  a  soldier's  instinct,  Glazier  halted  here  at 
the  parade-ground,  and  witnessed  the  drill  of  the; 
militia.  He  then  located  himself  at  No.  34  Oak 
Street,  where  he  was  visited  by  many  comrades  of  the 
"Grand  Army"  and  other  prominent  citizens  of  Buf- 


OCEAN   TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         383 

fiilo.  Arrangements  having  been  made,  he  lectured  to 
a  full  house  at  St.  James  Hall,  being  introduced  to 
the  audience  by  Major  John  M.  Farquhar.  The  fol- 
lowing endorsement  had  appeared  in  the  Buffalo 
Express  the  day  preceding  his  arrival  in  the  city, 
signed  by  prominent  members  of  the  "  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic :  " 

BUFFALO,  NEW  YORK,  \ 
June  18th,  1876.         / 

Captain  Willard  Glazier  served  his  country  with  great  credit  in 
the  Harris  Light  Cavalry.  He  was  a  brave  soldier  and  has  a 
splendid  army  record.  His  numerous  works  upon  army  life, 
recording  his  personal  experiences  on  the  battle-field,  in  camp 
and  in  prison,  are  exceedingly  interesting  and  of  a  highly  patriotic 
character ;  they  are  universally  commended  by  the  press  and  by 
men  of  army  experience. 

He  is  highly  endorsed  as  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the 
"Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,"  and  as  a  lecturer. 

The  object  of  his  lectures  being  to  add  to  the  fund  for  a  Soldiers' 
Home  in  this  State,  we  most  cheerfully  commend  him  to  the  people 
of  this  city,  and  earnestly  hope  he  will  receive  a  liberal  patronage, 
and  have  a  full  house  at  St.  James  Hall  on  Monday  evening,  the 
nineteenth  of  June. 
[Signed] 

GEORGE  N.  BROWN,  WILLIAM  F.  ROGERS, 

GEORGE  W.  FLYNN,  G.  L.  REMINGTON, 

JOHN  B.' WEBER,  JOHN  M.  FARQUHAR, 

JAMES  N.  MCARTHTTR,  CHARLES  B.  DUNNING, 

G.  A.  SCROGGS,  ALFRED  LYTLE, 

P.  J.  RIPONT,  JOHN  A.  FRANKS, 

RICHARD  FLASH. 

The  lecture  was  a  success,  and  the  usual  offering  of 
the  proceeds  made  to  the  fund  of  the  Soldiers'  Home. 

"  Paul "  was  ordered  at  eight  o'clock  the  following 
morning,  and,  again  in  the  saddle,  Glazier  proceeded 
at  a  walk  to  North  Evans,  distant  from  Buffalo  fifteen 
miles.  His  road  laid  along  the  banks  of  Lake  Erie, 


384  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

a  circumstance  which  he  notes  in  his  diary  as  one  of 
the  events  of  his  journey,  the  beauty  of  the  scenery, 
and  fresh,  cool  air  from  the  lake  being  exceedingly 
pleasant  and  grateful  on  a  hot  day  in  June.  He  rode 
"  Paul "  down  to  the  beach  and  into  the  water  up  to 
his  girths. 

June  twenty-fourth,  we  find  the  following  entry  : 

"My  journey  from  North  Evans  to  Angola  has 
been  unusually  pleasant.  I  could  see  the  lake,  and 
feel  its  cool  refreshing  influence  nearly  the  whole 
distance." 

Angola  is  situated  on  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad,  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  Lake  Erie.  Here  Mr.  J. 
S.  Parker,  formerly  of  Malone,  New  York,  called  upon 
him  on  business  connected  with  the  lecture,  and  in  the 
course  of  conversation,  Captain  Glazier  discovered  that 
his  visitor  knew  many  of  his  old  neighbors  and  ac- 
quaintances in  Northern  New  York.  The  events  of 
his  early  years  along  the  banks  of  the  Oswegatchie 
were  discussed  with  much  interest,  and  it  doubtless 
formed  a  pleasing  episode  of  his  journey.  The  lecture 
was  delivered  with  satisfactory  results,  at  the  regular 
hour,  in  a  building  that  had  once  been  a  church,  but 
was  now  used  as  the  Town  Hall,  and  the  introduction 
made  by  Leroy  S.  Oatman. 

Dunkirk  was  reached  June  twenty-fifth,  by  way  of 
the  Buffalo  Road.  The  beautiful  lake,  which  had  been 
very  near  the  road  from  Buffalo  to  Angola,  was  now 
seldom  seen,  but  the  haying  season  had  commenced, 
and  the  captain's  love  of  nature  was  now  gratified  by 
the  lively  spectacle  of  the  mowers  and  hay-makers — 
men,  women  and  children  at  work  in  the  fields  as  he 
rode  past.  Putting  up  at  the  Eastern  Hotel,  he  was 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         385 

ready  to  deliver  his  lecture  in  the  evening,  and  at 
Columbus  Hall  was  introduced  to  a  respectable  au- 
dience by  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Kummer,  pastor  of  the 
Methodist  church  of  Dunkirk.  The  following  day 
being  Sunday,  he  attended  divine  service  at  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Rummer's  church.  ' 

Before  leaving  Dunkirk  the  following  testimonial 
\vas  handed  him : 

DUNKIRK,  NEW  YORK,  1 
June  25th,  1876.         / 
CAPTAIN  GLAZIER  : 

We  desire  to  express  to  you  our  warm  appreciation  of  your 
highly  instructive  and  most  entertaining  lecture  delivered  here  this 
evening.  We  trust  success  beyond  your  most  sanguine  expectations 
will  attend  you  in  your  journey;  and  we  cheerfully  recommend  you 
and  your  lecture  to  any  and  all  whom  our  endorsement  might 
influence. 

[Signed]  J.  M.  McWHARF,  M.  D., 

J.  A.  KUMMER,  Pastor, 
P.  B.  MORRELL. 

Dunkirk,  with  its  pleasant  associations,  was  left 
June  twenty-seventh,  and,  continuing  along  the  Buf- 
falo Road,  our  cavalier  stopped  for  dinner  at  Silver 
Creek.  Here  he  found  the  farmers  of  Chautauqua 
County  largely  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  fruit  and 
grain.  The  flourishing  vineyards  near  Fredonia  had 
also  arrested  his  attention,  giving  promise  of  the  exten- 
sive cultivation  of  the  grape  which  has  since  marked 
this  locality.  At  Westfield  he  lectured  in  the  Metro- 
politan Hall,  being  introduced  by  ("eorge  Wilson, 
Esq.,  and  on  the  following  day  passed  through  a  fine 
fruit  and  grain  region,  stopping  at  a  village  named 
State  Line  for  dinner.  Here  he  had  some  trouble  in 
finding  the  landlord  of  the  caravansary,  who,  combin- 
ing the  business  of  "  mine  host "  with  that  of  a  farmer, 


386  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

was  at  the  time  some  distance  away,  industriously 
employed  at  hoeing  corn. 

At  five  o'clock  P.  M.,  Captain  Glazier  reached  the 
flourishing  little  town  of  North  East,  where  he  found 
a  large  crowd  of  people  in  front  of  the  Haynes  House 
awaiting  his  arrival.  He  was  taken  by  surprise  when 
told  that  he  had  been  announced  to  deliver  a  lecture 
there  that  evening.  The  band  of  the  place  escorted 
him  to  the  "Hall,"  and,  taking  position  in  front  of 
the  audience,  played  "Hail  Columbia"  before,  and 
"  The  Sword  of  Bunker  Hill  "  after  the  lecture.  This 
was  a  voluntary  and  quite  an  unexpected  compliment 
to  Captain  Glazier,  who  was  sensibly  affected  by  it. 
The  "  Hall "  was  so  crowded  that  many  were  com- 
pelled to  stand  throughout  the  lecture,  and  if  applause 
is  any  evidence  of  the  satisfaction  of  the  applauders,  he 
might  fairly  consider  his  effort  to  entertain  the  "  North 
Easters"a  decided  success.  Captain  Bronson  Orton 
introduced  him  to  this  audience,  a  gentleman  who, 
although  now  in  the  peaceful  practice  of  the  law,  had 
been  with  Sherman's  array  in  its  memorable  march 
through  Georgia. 

Arrived  at  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  June  twenty-ninth, 
Captain  Glazier  was  cordially  welcomed  by  Colonel  F. 
H.  Ellsworth,  proprietor  of  the  Reed  House,  who 
showed  him  many  attentions  while  his  guest.  The 
lecture  was  delivered  to  a  full  house  at  the  Academy 
of  Music,  the  introduction  being  made  by  Hon.  C.  B. 
Carter. 

At  Swanville  he  became  the  guest  of  John  Jacob 
Swan,  an  old  and  worthy  resident, after  whom  the  village 
had  been  named.  Everything  was  done  for  his  comfort 
by  the  Swan  family,  of  which  we  find  some  pleasant 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.        387 

reminiscences  noted  in  the  Journal.  Mr.  Swan's  son, 
Andrew,  was  a  lieutenant-colonel  of  cavalry  during  the 
civil  war,  and  the  patriarch  himself  had  participated  in 
the  war  of  1812.  "  Mr.  Swan  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers in  Erie  County,"  Captain  Glazier  notes,  "  and  al- 
though more  than  fifty  years  have  passed,  this  old 
veteran  still  remembers  distinctly,  and  describes  mi- 
nutely, the  scenes  and  events  of  his  former  life.  He 
saw  the  first  steamer  launched  on  Lake  Erie,  and 
says  it  was  regarded  by  the  Indians  as  an  evil  omen  : 
they  styled  it '  the  devil's  canoe,'  were  greatly  fright- 
ened, and  ran  from  the  lake.  .  .  .  Took  a  stroll  with 
Mr.  Swan  over  his  farm.  He  found  great  pleasure  in 
showing  me  the  wonderful  changes  which  a  half  century 
has  wrought  upon  his  estate." 

Taking  leave  of  this  amiable  family,  he  left  for 
Girard,  and  found  P.  J.  Farrington,  his  advance  agent, 
awaiting  him  at  the  Central  House.  At  the  lecture  in 
the  evening  he  was  introduced  by  Jacob  Bender,  Esq., 
a  brass  band  adding  to  the  entertainment,  and  after- 
wards serenading  him  at  his  hotel.  The  Girard  Cos- 
mopolite came  out  on  the  next  morning  with  the 
following  notice  of  the  lecture : 

"  Captain  Willard  Glazier,  the  soldier-author  and  lecturer,  now 
011  a  journey  on  horseback  from  Boston  to  San  Francisco,  reached 
this  place  on  Saturday  evening,  and  delivered  his  lecture,  'Echot-f 
from  the  Revolution,'  to  a  highly  respectable  audience,  at  Philhar- 
monic Hall.  He  speaks  with  a  soldier's  enthusiasm  of  those  stir- 
ring times  when  our  forefathers  '  walked  through  a  baptism  of  blood 
and  of  fire,  their  only  purpose  liberty  ;  their  only  incentive  duty  : 
their  only  pride  their  country ;  and  their  only  ambition  victory.' 
He  traces,  in  a  very  eloquent  manner,  the  movements  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary heroes  from  that  day  in  April,  1775,  when  the  undis- 
ciplined militia  at  Concord  put  the  red-coats  to  Sight  and  forced 
them  to  retire  to  their  intrenchments  at  Boston,  onward  to  the  sur 


388  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

render  of  Cornwallis  to  Washington.  .  .  .  We  are  credibly  in- 
formed that  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  Captain  Glazier's  journey  is 
to  make  observations  and  collect  material  for  another  book,  which 
will  no  doubt  be  a  very  interesting  one  to  read,  and  will  add  still 
greater  honors  to  one  who,  though  still  a  young  man,  has  already 
acquired  an  enviable  reputation  as  an  author.  After  a  very  cordial 
shake  of  the  hand  from  some  comrades  and  citizens,  the  captain 
left  the  Central  Hotel  on  his  fine  black  horse,  'Paul  Revere,'  which 
has  brought  him  safely  thus  far  from  Boston  since  the  ninth  of  May, 
and  which  he  proposes  to  ride  to  the  Golden  Gate  by  the  first  of 
December  next." 

July  third  found  Captain  Glazier  at  Ashtabula, 
Ohio.  The  people  everywhere,  during  his  ride  from 
Girard,  were  engaged  in  preparations  for  the  celebra- 
tion on  the  following  day  of  the  glorious  Centennial 
Fourth.  It  was  his  intention  to  have  lectured  at 
Ashtabula,  but  he  was  counselled  not  to  do  so,  as  al- 
most every  man  and  woman  in  the  place  was  upon 
some  committee  preparing  for  the  next  day's  festivi- 
ties, and  he  would  consequently  get  but  a  scant  audi- 
ence. He  therefore  concluded  not  to  deliver  his  lecture 
here,  but  to  push  forward  on  his  journey. 

Under  date  July  fourth,  he  writes  : 

"  Mounted  '  Paul '  at  nine  o'clock  this  morning  in  front  of  the 
Fisk  House,  Ashtabula.  Thousands  upon  thousands  of  country 
people  were  pouring  into  the  town  as  I  rode  out.  The  booming  of 
cannon,  blowing  of  engine  whistles,  ringing  of  bells,  and  the  dis- 
charge of  fire-arms  of  every  variety  and  calibre,  welcomed  the  dawn 
of  the  One  Hundredth  anniversary  of  American  Independence." 

Willard  Glazier  suffered  no  occasion  to  pass  that 
presented  a  chance  of  picking  up  useful  information 
on  topics  connected  with  the  localities  he  rode  through 
— their  population,  industries,  features  of  the  country, 
prominent  men,  etc.,  his  capacity  for  absorbing  such 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         389 

knowledge  being  large,  and  the  intention  of  utilizing  it 
in  the  interest  of  the  public  having  been  his  chief 
motive  in  undertaking  the  adventurous  journey.  The 
large  amount  of  information  thus  collected  has  been 
reduced  to  system,  and  will,  we  trust,  be  shortly  in 
the  hands  of  the  publisher. 

Cleveland — the  "  Forest  City  " — was  his  next  desti- 
nation, and  on  July  sixth  he  registered  at  the  Forest 
City  House,  and  delivered  his  lecture  in  the  evening  at 
Garrett's  Hall.  He  was  introduced  by  Major  E.  M. 
Hessler,  of  the  "Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,"  who,  in 
the  name  of  many  citizens  and  in  testimony  of  their 
respect  for  the  soldier,  author,  and  lecturer,  proposed 
a  banquet  on  the  following  day.  This,  however,  was 
modestly  and  respectfully  declined.  The  result  of  the 
lecture  is  shown  in  the  following  letter : 

NATIONAL  SOLDIERS'  HOME,  •» 
DAYTON,  OHIO,  July  27lh,  1876. 1 
CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER: 

My  dear  Comrade :  We  have  received  through  Major  E.  M. 
Hessler  your  generous  donation  to  aid  in  erecting  the  Soldiers' 
Monument  at  the  "Home."  You  liave  (lie  hearty  thanks  of  three 
thousand  disabled  veterans  now  on  our  rolls;  and  a  cordial  invita- 
tion to  visit  us  when  it  is  your  pleasure  to  do  so.  Again  we  thank 
you.  Please  find  receipt  from  our  treasurer, 

Very  respectfully, 

WILLIAM  EARNSHAW, 
President,  Historical  and  Monumental  Society. 

While  in  Cleveland  the  terrible  news  of  the  massa- 
cre of  General  Custer  by  the  Indians  reached  Captain 
Glazier,  who,  as  a  cavalry  officer,  had  seen  service 
with  him  in  the  late  war,  and  felt  for  him  that  respect 
and  love  which  only  a  true  soldier  knows  for  a  brave 


390  SWORD  AND  PEX. 

loader.  The  stunning  intelligence  left  a  deep  impres- 
sion, and  in  due  time  he  showed  his  respect  for  the 
tlead  general  by  substantial  aid  rendered  in  the  erection 
of  a  monument  to  his  memory. 

The  following  letter  was  received  before  leaving  the 

Forest  City : 

HEADQUARTERS,  POST  No.  1,     \ 

"GRAND  ARMY  OP  THE  REPUBLIC,"  DEPARTMENT  OF  OHIO,  [• 
CLEVELAND,  O.,  July  12th,  1876.     J 

COMRADE:  Through  your  unsolicited  generosity  I  have  the 
pleasure  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  net  proceeds  of  your  lec- 
ture on  "  Echoes  from  the  Revolution,"  delivered  in  our  city  July 
sixth,  1876,  and  by  your  direction  have  forwarded  the  amount  to 
Chaplain  William  Earnshaw,  President  of  the  "  Soldiers'  Home 
Monumental  Fund,"  at  Dayton,  to  assist  in  erecting  a  monument  to 
the  memory  of  the  veterans,  who  by  the  fortunes  of  war  await  the 
long  roll  at  the  National  Military  Home  :  and  may  your  reward  be 
no  less  than  the  love  and  gratitude  of  our  unfortunate  comrades. 
By  order  of 

GENERAL  JAMES  BARNETT,  Commanding. 
E.  M.  HESSLER,  Q.  M. 

Leaving  Cleveland  and  4he  many  friends  who  had 
flocked  around  him  in  that  hospitable  city,  offering 
encouragement  in  his  undertaking,  Glazier  proceeded 
on  his  route,  accompanied  a  short  distance  on  horse- 
back by  an  old  scholar  named  Alexander  Wilsey,  whose 
affection  for  his  teacher  had  not  diminished  by  years 
of  separation.  Keeping  along  the  lake-shore  all  day, 
and  not  a  little  tormented  by  the  shoals  of  mosquitoes 
as  the  evening  advanced,  he  rode  into  Sandusky  City, 
July  thirteenth,  and  delivered  his  lecture  the  same 
evening  to  a  fair  audience.  He  was  introduced 
in  a  humorous  and  effective  speech  by  Captain 
Culver,  Judge  of  the  Probate  Court. 

Fremont,  the  pleasant  home  of  President  Hayes,  was 
visited,  and  then  on  through  Elmore  to  the  flourishing 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         391 

city  of  Toledo,  where  he  registered  at  the  Boody  House, 
July  seventeenth.  Introduced  by  Dr.  J.  T.  Woods, 
G.  A.  R.,  he  lectured  at  Lyceum  Hall,  to  an  interested 
audience,  who  frequently  signified  their  approval  by 
applause. 

Passing  through  Erie,  Michigan,  Captain  Glazier 
reached  Monroe,  July  twenty-fourth,  the  committee  of 
the  Custer  Monument  Association  receiving  him  at 
the  City  Hall.  Arrangements  were  made  for  the  de- 
livery of  a  lecture  in  the  interest  of  the  fund  for  the 
erection  of  the  monument.  This  was  of  course  most 
congenial  to  Glazier's  feelings,  Custer  being  his  beau 
ideal  of  a  soldier,  and  he  therefore  at  once  placed  him- 
self in  the  hands  of  the  committee,  offering  them  the  en- 
tire proceeds  of  the  lecture.  The  Monroe  Monitor,  of 
July  twenty-sixth,  noticed  the  proposal  thus: 

"  The  lecture  announced  to  be  given  for  the  benefit  of  the  Custer 
Monument  Fund,  on  Monday  evening  at  the  City  Hall,  was  post- 
poned for  various  reasons  until  Thursday  evening  at  the  same  place. 
On  Monday  evening  several  members  of  the  association  met  Captain 
Glazier,  and  were  most  favorably  impressed  with  him.  They  are 
convinced  that  he  is  thoroughly  in  earnest,  and  his  proposition  is  a 
most  liberal  one.  He  offers  to  give  the  entire  proceeds  of  his  lec- 
tures to  the  association ;  and  not  only  in  this  city  but  throughout 
the  State,  he  generously  offers  to  do  the  same  thing.  This  is  cer- 
tainly deserving  of  the  warm  recognition  of  our  own  people  at  least, 
and  we  hope  on  Thursday  evening  to  see  the  City  Hall  filled. 
Captain  Glazier  comes  with  the  strongest  endorsements  from  well- 
known  gentlemen  in  the  East,  both  as  to  his  character  as  a  gentle 
man  and  a  soldier,  and  his  ability  as  a  speaker  and  writer.  The 
captain  served  under  the  late  General  Custer  in  the  cavalry,  and 
has  something  to  say  regarding  his  personal  knowledge  of  the  dead 
hero.  .  .  ." 

The  lecture  was  duly  delivered,  and  the  following 
certificate  nlnecd  in  his  Immlsr 


392  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

HEA  DQUARTERS, 
CUSTER  NATIONAL  MONUMENT  ASSOCIATION, 

MONROE,  MICH.,  July  28th,  1876. 
This  is  to  certify  that  the  proceeds  of  the  lecture  by  Captain 
Willard  Glazier  in  this  city  on  Thursday  evening,  July  27th,  1876, 
have  been  paid  into  the  treasury  of  this  association  ;  for  which  the 
members  hereby  tender  him  their  sincere  thanks. 

T.  E.  WING, 
Treasurer. 

The  following  also  is  evidence  of  the  benevolent  aims 
of  Captain  Glazier  during  his  journey  in  the  saddle : 

HEADQUARTERS, 
CUSTER  NATIONAL  MONUMENT  ASSOCIATION, 

MONROE,  MICH.,  July  28lh,  1876. 
To  Auxiliary  Societies  and  Associations  of  the 
Ouster  Monument  Association : 

Captain  Willard  Glazier  having  kindly  and  generously  volun- 
teered to  devote  the  proceeds  of  his  lectures  through  Michigan  to 
the  fund  being  raised  by  this  Association  for  the  erection  of  a  monu- 
ment to  the  memory  of  the  late  General  George  A.  Custer,  he  has 
made  arrangements  to  remit  to  our  treasurer  here  the  money  de- 
rived from  such  lectures,  and  we  bespeak  for  him  your  earnest 
endeavors  in  aid  of  our  common,  glorious  cause.  Respectfully, 

J.  M.  BULKLEY, 

Secretary. 

Before  leaving  Monroe,  Glazier  called  upon  Mr.  E. 
J.  Custer,  the  father  of  the  deceased  general,  whom  he 
represents  as  nearly  crushed  by  the  melancholy  news 
of  his  son's  tragic  death.  The  worthy  old  gentleman 
was  very  courteous,  and  showed  him  some  photographs 
and  an  oil-portrait  of  the  late  general,  together  with 
some  relics  from  the  Indian  country  which  the  general 
had  sent  him  at  different  times.  Mr.  Custer  seemed 
greatly  interested  in  the  journey  on  horseback,  and 
asked  the  captain  many  questions  concerning  his  plans 
for  crossing  the  plains.  Finally,  he  accompanied  Cap- 
tain Glazier  as  far  as  Strong's  Hotel,  and  witnessed  his 
start  from  Monroe.  During  his  stay  in  Monroe  our 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         393 

soldier-author  was  introduced  to  several  prominent 
gentlemen  of  the  place,  and  plans  were  discussed  for 
availing  themselves  of  his  proffered  services  in  behalf 
of  the  monument.  The  lecture  was  a  financial  success, 
and  the  whole  of  the  proceeds  were  turned  over  to  the 
Treasurer,  Judge  T.  E.  Wing.  "  I  gave  them  all,  al- 
though they  generously  offered  to  divide  with  me,"  is 
the  simple  entry  in  his  journal  under  date  July 
twenty-eighth. 

Passing  through  Rockwood,  Trenton,  Wyaudotte, 
and  Ecorse,  all  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  he  reached 
Detroit  on  the  thirty-first  of  July,  and  was  met  by 
General  William  A.  Throop  at  the  Russell  House,  as 
one  of  a  committee  appointed  to  confer  with  him  on 
the  subject  of  his  lecture.  At  the  usual  hour  the  lec- 
ture was  delivered  to  a  full  house  at  Saint  Andrew's 
Hall,  General  L.  S.  Trowbridge  introducing  the  lec- 
turer to  the  audience  in  very  complimentary  terms. 

The  next  morning  the  proceeds  were  turned  over 
to  the  monument  fund  as  indicated  in  the  following 
letter  to  the  treasurer,  and  its  acknowledgment  by  the 
local  committee. 

DETROIT,  MICHIGAN,  ) 
August  1st,  1876.      ) 
T.  E.  WING,  Esq.,  Treasurer, 

Custer  National  Monument  Association : 

DEAR  SIR:  I  send  you  through  General  L.  S.  Trowbridge  of  this 
city  the  net  proceeds  of  my  lecture  delived  at  St.  Andrew's  Hall 
last  night,  the  same  to  be  applied  to  the  fund  of  the  Custer  National 
Monument  Association,  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  the  mem- 
ory of  the  late  General  Custer  at  Monroe.  I  hope  and  expect  to 
be  able  to  send  you  much  larger  contributions  as  soon  as  the  lecture 
season  is  fairly  open.  My  horse  is  still  in  excellent  condition,  and 
I  shall  anticipate  a  delightful  and  successful  ride  across  the  Penin' 
sular  State.  Promising  to  write  you  again  from  Ypsilanti,  I  am 

Ever  truly  yours, 
OQ  WII.LARD  GLAZIER. 


>94  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

DETROIT,  MICHIGAN,  \ 
August  1st,  1876.      ( 

Received  of  Captain  Wiliard  Glazier,  forty  dollars,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Caster  Monument  Association,  as  the  proceeds  of  his  lecture 
at  Detroit  on  the  evening  of  July  31st,  1876,  in  aid  of  such  asso- 
ciation. [Signed]  L.  S.  TROWBRIDGE, 

WILLIAM  A.  THROOP, 

Committee. 

While  fn  Detroit,  Captain  Glazier  visited  all  the 
public  buildings  and  places  of  note,  enjoying  the  cour- 
tesies and  hospitality  of  many  of  its  leading  citizens; 
and,  encouraged  by  the  success  he  had  met  with  so  far 
in  contributing  to  the  Custer  Monument  Fund,  he  de- 
termined to  devote  the  net  proceeds  of  all  his  lectures 
delivered  between  Detroit  and  Chicago  to  the  same 
object. 

Leaving  Detroit  and  passing  through  Inkster,  he 
reached  Ypsilanti  through  torrents  of  rain,  and  the  same 
evening — August  fifth — received  calls  at  the  Haw- 
kins House  from  a  large  number  of  patriotic  gentlemen 
interested  in  the  Custer  monument.  The  lecture  was 
duly  delivered  in  Union  Hall  and  the  proceeds  handed 
over  to  the  fund. 

Arrived  at  Jackson,  "  a  most  enterprising  little  city," 
as  Captain  Glazier  notes,  August  ninth,  and  delivered 
his  lecture  in  the  evening  at  Bronsoti  Hall,  to  a  very 
full  house.  The  Jackson  Citizen  said  on  the  following 
morning : 

"  Captain  Wiliard  Glazier  lectured  last  evening  in  the  interest 
of  the  Custer  Monument  Fund.  His  lecture  was  a  good  historical 
review  delivered  with  graceful  rhetoric  and  at  times  real  eloquence. 
The  captain  is  still  in  the  city  giving  his  horse — a  nohlc-  Kentucky 
Black  Hawk,  whom  he  has  ridden  all  the  way  from  Boston,  and 
whom  he  expects  to  carry  him  to  San  Francisco — a  rest.  He  starts 
to-morrow  morning  for  Battle-Creek,  where  he  lectures  on  Saturday 
evening," 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.    395 

Through  Parma,  Albion,  and  on  to  Battle-Creek, 
which  was  reached  August  twelfth.  Lieutenant  Eugene 
T.  Freeman  here  took  the  role  of  host  and  welcomed 
Captain  Glazier  to  the  city,  introducing  him  to  many 
admirers  and  friends  of  the  late  General  Custer.  Ar- 
rangements were  completed  for  the  lecture,  which  took 
place  at  the  usual  hour  in  Stuart's  Hall  before  a  numer- 
ous and  attentive  audience — the  introduction  being 
made  by  Lieutenant  Freeman,  and  the  proceeds  applied 
to  the  monument,  fund.  The  following  day  being 
Sunday  the  lieutenant's  invitation  was  accepted  to 
accompany  him  to  church,  where  an  introduction  to 
the  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Palmer,  and  others,  took  place. 
In  the  afternoon  Captain  Glazier  was  agreeably  sur- 
prised by  an  invitation  from  Lieutenant  Freeman  to 
ride  with  him  in  his  carriage  to  the  delightful  summer 
resort  of  that  region — Goguac  Lake;  and  in  many 
other  ways  Lieutenant  Freeman  manifested  a  very 
friendly  and  cordial  feeling  for  him. 

Contrary  to  Captain  Glazier's  intention  on  setting 
out  from  Boston  he  yielded  to  invitations  to  lecture  at 
Albion  and  Marshall,  and,in  the  interest  of  the  Custer 
Monument,  also  determined  to  visit  South  Bend,  In- 
diana; and  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan;  which  cities  were 
not  included  in  the  route  he  had  originally  marked 
out  for  himself. 

At  Kalamazoo  he  delivered  his  lecture  to  a  crowded 
house,  being  introduced  by  Major  Judson,  late  of  Gen- 
eral Custer's  staff.  Nearing  Comstock,  Captain  Glazier 
met  with  a  serious  adventure.  His  horse  "  Paul " 
becoming  frightened  by  the  approach  of  a  train  on  the 
Michigan  Central  Railway,  dashed  over  the  embank- 
ment into  the  Kalamazoo  River — a  fall  of  nearly  forty 


396  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

feet,  and  the  captain  came  very  near  losing  his  life. 
No  bones  were  broken,  however,  the  result  being  hap- 
pily confined  to  a  considerable  ducking  and  a  no  less 
considerable  scare ;  "  Paul  "  having  fared  as  ill  as  his 
master. 

The  following  letters  and  press  notices  will  show  the 
nature  of  the  reception  our  soldier-author  met  with  in 
Kalamazoo,  Grand  Rapids  aud  South  Bend,  respec- 
tively : 

KALAMAZOO,  MICHIGAN,  •» 
August  18th,  1876.  > 
J.  M.  BULKLEY,  ESQ., 

Secretary  C.  N.  M.  Association, 
MONROE,  MICHIGAN. 

DEAR  SIR: — I  have  the  pleasure  of  transmitting  to  Judge  Wing, 
through  Major  R.  F.  Judson,  the  net  proceeds  of  my  lecture  delivered 
in  this  place  on  the  evening  of  the  sixteenth  instant.  I  desire  to 
accompany  my  gift  with  an  acknowledgment  of  many  courtesies  ex- 
tended by  the  press  and  band  of  this  patriotic  village.  I  resume  my 
journey  this  afternoon  and  shall  speak  at  Niles,  South  Bend,  and 
Lanorte  before  the  close  of  the  present  week.  Hoping  that  your 
brightest  anticipations  for  the  "  Monument "  may  be  most  fully 
realized,  I  remain, 

Always  sincerely  yours, 

WILLARD  GLAZIER. 


KALAMAZOO,  MICHIGAN, 
August  19th,  1876, 


iN,l 

76.; 


Received  of  Captain  Wlllard  Glazier  the  net  proceeds  of  his 
lecture  at  this  place,  which  sum  is  to  be  applied  to  the  fund  for  the 
erection  of  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  late  General  Custer, 
at  Monroe  City,  Michigan. 

We  take  great  pleasure  in  speaking  of  Captain  Glazier  in  the 
highest  terms,  not  only  on  account  of  the  self-devotion  he  has  mani- 
fested in  a  noble  cause,  but  of  his  indomitable  perseverance  and 
energy.  We  trust  he  will,  wherever  he  goes,  receive  the  unanimous 
support  of  the  citizens  whom  he  addresses. 

F.  W.  CURTENIUS, 
Late  Colonel  D.  S.  Volunteers. 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.    397 

I  take  great  pleasure  in  fully  endorsing  the  above  and  recom- 
mending to  public  confidence  and  support,  Captain  Willard  Glazier, 
in  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Custer  Monument  Association. 

R.  F.  JUUSON, 
Late  aide  to  General  Custer. 

From  the  South  Bend  Herald: 

"As  heretofore  announced  in  these  columns,  Captain  Glazier  deliv- 
ered his  lecture  '  Echoes  from  the  Revolution  '  at  the  Academy  of 
Music  last  evening.  Promptly  at  eight  o'clock,  the  lecturer,  with 
Mr.  J.  F.  Creed,  appeared  on  the  platform.  Mr.  Creed,  in  introducing 
the  lecturer,  stated  the  object  of  the  lecture  to  be  in  aid  of  the  Cus- 
ter Monument  Association  of  Monroe,  Michigan.  He  also  read 
several  letters  introducing  Captain  Glazier  to  the  public,  from 
well-known  citizens  of  Michigan,  and  acknowledging  receipts  of  the 
proceeds  of  the  lectures  delivered  in  Detroit  and  Kalamazoo.  The 
theme  of  the  lecture  afforded  a  fine  field  for  the  display  of  Captain 
Glazier's  talents  as  a  speaker.  Possessing  a  fine  imagination,  good 
descriptive  powers,  and  the  real  qualities  of  an  orator,  he  could  not 
fail  to  please  the  really  intelligent  audience  which  greeted  him  last 
evening.  Probably  one  hour  and  a  half  were  consumed  in  its  de- 
livery, but  the  interest  and  attention  of  the  audience  did  not  flag 
nor  tire,  and  when  the  speaker  took  leave  of  his  audience,  he  was 
greeted  with  several  rounds  of  applause." 

About  this  time  his  Boston  friends  were  notified  of 
his  progress  toward  the  setting  sun  in  the  following 
paragraph  of  the  Boston  Inquirer: 

"  Captain  Willard  Glazier,  who  undertook  in  May  last  to  ride 
from  this  city  to  the  Golden  Gate  on  horseback,  has  reached  Michi- 
gan, and  has  discoursed  to  large  audiences  at  the  various  points  along 
his  route.  The  profits  of  his  lecture  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  were 
donated  to  the  fund  at  Dayton,  to  assist  in  erecting  a  monument  to 
the  memory  of  the  veterans  who  by  the  fortunes  of  war  are  destined 
to  await  the  long  roll-call  at  the  National  Military  Home." 

To  return  to  his  present  point  of  departure,  South 
Bend,  Captain  Glazier  finding  his  horse  "  Paul  "  suffer- 
ing from  the  accident  previously  recorded,  and  also 
from  sore-back,  left  him  with  a  veterinary  surgeon  for 


398  SWORD  AND  PEN 

treatment,  and  sped  on  his  way  by  rail  to  Grand 
Rapids.  Here  he  lectured  with  favorable  results,  hav- 
ing been  introduced  by  General  Innes. 

Said  the  Grand  Rapids  Eagle: 

"  A  very  large  audience  gathered  at  Luce's  Hall  last  night  to 
hear  Captain  Willard  Glazier.  The  speaker  was  earnest  and 
impassioned,  his  lecture  was  delivered  with  a  force  and  eloquence 
that  pleased  his  hearers,  and  all  who  were  in  the  hall  went  away 
glad  that  they  had  been  there,  and  ready  to  add  to  the  praises  that 
have  been  bestowed  on  Captain  Glazier  as  a  soldier,  author,  and 
orator." 

Decatur,  Dowagiac,  Paw-Paw,  Niles,  and  Buchanan, 
were  all  reached  by  railway,  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
"  Paul"  a  rest  and  an  opportunity  of  recovering  from 
his  sore  back.  At  Decatnr,  Glazier  met  an  old  com- 
rade of  the  "  Harris  Light/'  named  George  L.  Darby, 
with  whom  a  pleasant  exchange  of  reminiscences  took 
place,  and  a  cordial  intercourse  was  renewed.  "  Thirteen 
years,"  says  Captain  Glazier  in  his  Journal,  "  have 
slipped  away,  since  the  day  of  our  capture  at  New  Bal- 
timore, which  led  him  to  Belle  Isle,  and  me  to  Libby 
Prison.  .  .  Darby  called  this  afternoon  with  fishing 
tackle,  and  proposed  that  we  should  go  out  to  '  Lake 
of  the  Woods,'  a  small  lake  not  far  from  the  village, 
and  try  our  luck  with  hook  and  line.  We  went,  and 
a  delightful  boat-ride  followed,  but  in  the  matter  of 
the  fish  which  we  tried  to  lure  with  tempting  pieces  of 
fresh  meat,  they  are  still  enjoying  their  native  free- 
dom." We  suspect  the  friends  were  too  intent  on 
fighting  their  battles  o'er  again  to  give  due  attention 
to  their  occupation. 

The  lecture  here  was  delivered  September  fourth  to 
a  crowded  house,  over  two  hundred  persons  being  com- 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.        399 

pelled  to  st....d  for  want  of  room  to  seat  them. 
Captain  Glazier  was  accompanied  to  the  platform  by 
several  leading  citizens,  among  whom  were  Hon.  Ran- 
som Nutting,  Rev.  Mr.  Hoyt,  Professor  S.  G.  Burked 
and  Albert  W.  Rogers,  Esq.,  Mr.  Nutting  presenting 
him  to  the  audience.  The  following  will  show  the 
opinion  entertained  of  the  lecturer: 

DECATUR,  MICHIGAN,  i 
September  4th,  1876.  I 
CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER, 

MY  DEAR  SIR  : — We  take  this  means  of  expressing  to  you  our  ap 
preciation  of  the  highly  instructive  and  very  entertaining  lecture 
delivered  by  you  at  Union  Hall  this  evening. 

Truly  we  admire  your  plan,  and  your  generosity  in  giving  the 
entire  proceeds  to  the  Ouster  Monument  Fund.  Our  endorsement  is 
the  expression  of  our  village  people  generally.  You  have  made 
many  friends  here. 

May  success  attend  you  throughout  your  journey. 
Very  respectfully, 

S.  GORDON  BURKED, 
RANSOM  NUTTING, 
ALBERT  W.  KOGERS. 

Having  lectured  successfully  at  the  several  inter- 
mediate towns  before  mentioned,  Captain  Glazier  with 
"Paul"  now  directed  his  course  to  Rolling  Prairie, 
Indiana  (a  place  romantic  only  in  name),  and  thence 
to  Michigan  City.  From  the  latter  point  he  journeyed 
by  railway  to  Chicago,  arrangements  having  been  made 
for  the  delivery  of  his  lecture  in  that  city  for  the 
benefit  of  the  monument  fund.  A  very  full  house 
greeted  him  at  Far  well  Hall.  Major  E.  S.  Weedon 
in  introducing  the  lecturer  alluded  in  an  eloquent  and 
touching  manner  to  the  record  of  the  gallant  Custer. 
Thelecture  throughout  its  delivery  was  much  applauded 
by  the  audience,  wlio  appeared  greatly  interested  ;  and 
the  proceeds  reached  a  handsome  sum. 


400  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

The  following  entry  occurs  in  the  Journal  under 
date,  Chicago,  September  12th,  1876: 

"  I  shall  now  push  on  to  Omaha  and  Cheyenne  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  in  the  hope  of  passing  Sherman  at 
the  summit  of  the  mountains  before  the  snow  is  too 
deep  to  interrupt  my  progress.  There  are  nine  steps 
in  my  journey  from  Boston  to  San  Francisco,  namely, 
Albany,  Buffalo,  Toledo,  Chicago,  Omaha,  Cheyenne, 
Salt  Lake  City,  Sacramento,  and  San  Francisco.  I 
have  now  taken  four  of  these  nine  steps,  and  shall 
undertake  to  pass  the  five  remaining  points  by  the 
first  of  December." 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

FROM   CHICAGO  TO   OMAHA. 

Return*  to  Michigan  City.  —  Joliet.  —  Thomas  Babcock.  —  Herbert 
Ulazier.  —  Ottawa.  —  La  Salle.  —  Colonel  Stevens.  —  Press  Notice.  — 
Taken  for  a  highwayman.  —  Milan.  —  Davenport.  —  Press  Notice. 
—  Iowa  City.  —  Des  Moines.  —  Press  Notice.  —  Attacked  by  prairie 
wolves.  —  Council  Bluffs.  —  Omaha. 


GLAZIER  having  succeeded  so  far  in 
his  novel  and  adventurous  undertaking,  felt  lit- 
tle concern  as  to  his  ability  to  accomplish  the  entire 
journey  from  ocean  to  ocean.  He  had  ridden  hut  one 
horse  —  his  faithful  "  Paul,"  thus  far,  and  having  re- 
turned to  Michigan  City,  found  him  quite  recovered 
and  ready  to  pursue  the  journey.  On  the  sixteenth 
of  September  he  took  his  departure  from  the  latter 
city,  and  after  riding  a  distance  of  twenty-eight  miles, 
rested  for  the  night  at  Hobart,  Indiana. 

On  the  seventeenth  he  crossed  the  boundary  between 
Indiana  and  Illinois.  On  Grand  Prairie,  after 
dark,  his  ears  were  made  familiar  with  the  peculiar 
howl  of  the  prairie  wolf,  numbers  of  which  followed 
in  his  track  for  a  distance  of  two  or  three  miles.  Not 
having  seen  any  of  these  animals  before,  he  supposed 
them  at  first  to  be  dogs,  until  advised  by  "  Paul's  " 
manner  and  movements  that  they  were  animals  less 
friendly  to  his  equine  companion. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  Glazier  rode  into 
Joliet,  and  met  Mr.  Thomas  Babcock,  his  advance  agent, 
on  Jefferson  Street.  Preparations  had  been  made  here 

(401) 


402  SWORD  AND   PKS. 

for  the  delivery  of  the  lecture,  and  several  prominent 
citizens  called  upon  him,  having  heard  of  his  projected 
visit  to  the  place.  His  brother  Herbert,  who  was  also 
acting  in  the  capacity  of  advance  agent,  had  departed 
to  Ottawa  to  prepare  for  a  lecture  there  on  the  twen- 
tieth. While  at  Joliet,  Captain  Glazier  stopped  at  the 
Robertson  House,  the  proprietor  of  which,  Mr.  Conk- 
lin,  sent  word  through  the  agent,  that  the  captain  was 
to  consider  himself  his  guest. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Conklin,  Captain  Glazier 
on  leaving  Joliet,  rode  his  horse  along  the  tow-path  of 
the  Michigan  Canal,  and  borrowing  a  hook  and  line 
from  a  gentleman  who  was  fishing,  caught  twenty-three 
perch  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  the  canal  being  swarm- 
ing with  fish. 

Leaving  Morris,  in  Grundy  County,  Illinois,  his  jour- 
ney lay  along  the  north  bank  of  the  Illinois  River,  and 
after  encountering  a  very  severe  rain  storm,  he  reached 
Ottawa,  September  twentieth,  stopping  at  the  Clifton 
House.  From  the  proprietors  of  this  hotel  he  received 
many  courtesies.  The  lecture,  as  arranged,  was  deliv- 
ered in  the  evening  with  the  usual  satisfactory  results. 

On  leaving  Ottawa,  the  captain  followed  the  tele- 
graph poles  along  the  Illinois  River,  passing  a  large 
number  of  very  fine  corn-fields,  and  overtaking  an  em- 
igrant train  on  its  journey  from  Ohio  to  Western  Ne- 
braska. La  Salle  was  reached  at  six  o'clock  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  twenty-first.  Here  he  enjoyed  the  society 
and  hospitality  of  Colonel  R.  C.  Stevens,  and  was  intro- 
duced to  a  number  of  other  prominent  gentlemen,  who 
were  attracted  to  him  by  their  interest  in  the  projected 
monument  to  General  Cu.ster.  The  lecture  was  deliv- 
ered at  Opera  Hall,  Colonel  Stevens  making  the 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN   ON  HORSEBACK.         403 

introduction.  The  following  letter  may  be  presented 
here  to  show  the  estimation  in  which  Captain  Glazier 
continued  to  be  held  as  he  progressed  in  his  journey 
westward : 

LA  SALLE,  ILLINOIS,     •» 
September  2olh,  1876.  j 

To  CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER  :  I  take  pleasure  in  expressing 
to  you  on  behalf  of  many  of  our  citizens,  the  gratification  afforded 
our  people  who  listened  to  your  instructive  and  entertaining  lecture 
given  at  Opera  Hall  on  Saturday  evening.  While  in  conversation 
with  several  of  our  prominent  citizens — among  them,  W.  A.  Work, 
superintendent  of  our  public  schools;  A.  J.  O'Connor,  clerk  of  the 
City  Court ;  W.  T.  Mason,  Esq.,  and  others ;  all  of  whom  were  present 
and  heard  your  lecture — I  was  requested  to  write  you  and  tender 
their  hearty  thanks  for  the  entertainment,  and  their  good  wishes  for 
your  success  in  your  ride  across  the  continent.  Should  you  ever 
again  visit  our  city,  you  can  rest  assured  you  will  be  most  cordially 
received. 

Very  truly  yours, 

R.  C.  STEVENS, 
Late  Colonel  U.  S.  Volunteers. 

The  La  Salle  County  Press  noticed  the  lecturer  in 
the  following  terms : 

"  We  have  not  often  met  with  a  more  agreeable  and  pleasant  gen- 
tleman than  Captain  Wlllard  Glazier,  who  entertained  a  very  re- 
spectable number  of  our  citizens  at  Opera  Hall  on  Saturday  evening 
by  delivering  a  lecture  on  '  Echoes  from  the  Revolution.'  The  cap- 
tain has  a  fine  voice  and  his  manner  of  delivery  is  decidedly 
interesting,  while  his  language  is  eloquent  and  fascinating.  His 
description  of  the  battles  of  the  Revolution,  and  the  heroes  who  took 
part  in  them,  from  the  engagement  on  the  little  green  at  Lexington 
down  to  the  surrender  of  Cornwalhs  at  Yorktown,  was  grand  in- 
deed, and  was  received  with  frequent  and  enthusiastic  applause. 
In  conclusion  lie  referred  in  an  eloquent  and  touching  manner  to  the 
'  Boys  in  Blue'  who  took  part  in  the  late  war  for  the  Union,  and 
all  retired  from  the  hall  feeling  that  the  evening  had  been  spent  in 
an  agreeable  and  profitable  manner. 

"Captain  Glazier  served  under  Generals  Kilpatrick  and 
Custer  during  the  late  war,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted 


404  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

much  labor  to  writing,  and  is  now  making  the  attempt  to  cross 
the  continent  from  Boston  to  San  Francisco  on  horseback,  for 
the  purpose  of  collecting  material  for  another  work.  He  left  Bos- 
ton in  the  early  part  of  May,  and  will  endeavor  to  reach  the  Sacra- 
mento Valley  before  the  fall  of  the  deep  snow.  His  horse,  '  Paul 
Revere,'  is  a  magnificent  animal,  black  as  a  raven,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  four  white  feet.  He  was  bred  in  Kentucky,  of  Black  Hawk 
stock,  has  turned  a  mile  in  2.33,  but  owing  to  his  inclination  to  run 
away  on  certain  occasions,  was  not  considered  a  safe  horse  for  the 
track.  The  captain,  however,  has  broke  him  to  the  saddle,  and  also 
convinced  him  that  running  away  is  foolish  business ;  consequently 
he  and  the  captain  have  become  fast  friends,  and  with  '  Paul '  for 
Vis  only  companion,  the  gallant  cavalryman  proposes  to  cross  the 
pntinent.  Success  attend  him!" 

Having  heard  at  La  Salle  that  he  would  find  no 
difficulty  in  securing  a  night's  lodging  at  a  village 
named  Hollowayville,  Captain  Glazier  pushed  on  for 
that  point,  but  on  applying  at  the  only  place  of  accom- 
modation for  travellers,  was  looked  upon  suspiciously 
by  the  German  host  and  his  frau,  who  politely  inti- 
mated their  belief  that  he  was  either  a  highwayman  or 
a  horse-thief!  These  latter  gentry  had  for  some  time 
infested  that  section  of  Illinois,  and  Glazier  inferred 
from  the  manner  of  the  people  that  they  more  than 
half  suspected  him  to  be  one  of  the  James  or  Younger 
brothers,  whose  exploits  they  had  probably  read  of. 

Turning  his  back  on  the  "  Grand  Pacific  Hotel,"  he 
at  length  succeeded  by  dint  of  much  perseverance,  in 
lodging  himself  and  "Paul"  at  a  farm-house  for  the 
night,  but  not  before  he  had  fully  satisfied  the  worthy 
farmer  and  his  wife  that  he  had  no  evil  designs  in  de- 
siring to  spend  the  night  with  them. 

On  the  following  day,  September  twenty-fifth,  the 
captain  rode  through  a  rich  farming  country,  replete 
with  "corn-fields,  fine  stock  and  oceans  of  fruit." 

Passed  through  Wyanet,  Annawan,  and  across  the 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         4Q5 

prairie — smiling  corn-fields  and  ripe  orchards  occasion- 
ally relieving  the  seemingly  interminable  ocean  of 
grass — and  arrived  at  Milan,  Illinois,  on  the  evening 
of  the  twenty-seventh,  remaining  for  the  night. 

Here  he  met  a  Mr.  Pullman,  an  old  and  intel- 
ligent miner  who  had  recently  arrived  from  the  Pa- 
cific coast,  from  whom  he  obtained  valuable  infor- 
mation concerning  the  country  between  Omaha  and 
Sacramento.  He  also  found  a  number  of  congenial 
spirits  at  Milan,  chiefly  New  Yorkers,  who  had  spent 
some  years  in  the  Far  West,  and  their  conversation 
partook  of  a  practical  nature  bearing  on  his  journey. 

Leaving  Milan  on  the  following  day,  he  crossed  the 
Government  Bridge,  which  unites  Rock  Island  with 
the  fine  city  of  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  registered  at  the 
Burtis  House — the  rider  and  his  horse  continuing  in 
the  best  of  health. 

The  lecture  at  Davenport  was  delivered  at  the  usual 
hour  at  Moore's  Hall  to  a  very  large  and  applaud- 
ing audience,  General  Sanders  presenting  him.  The 
brass  band  of  the  place  volunteered  their  services, 
and  appeared  in  full  uniform.  The  Davenport  Gazette 
of  October  fourth  said  : 

"  The  lecture  of  Captain  Willard  Glazier  at  Moore's  Hall  last  even- 
ing was  attended  by  a  large  and  appreciative  audience.  The  ca{>- 
tain  was  introduced  by  our  worthy  fellow-citizen,  General  Sanders, 
who  spoke  of  the  lecturer's  career  as  a  soldier  and  an  author,  and 
said  he  was  en  route  for  the  Pacific  coast  on  horseback,  and  lectur- 
ing for  the  benefit  of  the  Custer  Monument  Fund.  .  .  ." 

The  following  notice  is  taken  from  the  Democrat  of 
the  same  city : 

"  We  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Captain  Glazier  this  morning, 
•who  arrived  here  on  horseback  from  La  Salle  on  Saturday  evening. 


406  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

He  is  making  the  journey  from  Boston  to  San  Francisco  on  horse- 
back, and  alone,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the  country,  studying  the 
people,  and  gathering  materials  for  a  new  work  he  is  engaged  upon. 
Captain  Glazier  is  well  known  to  fame  as  a  writer,  having  published 
several  valuable  works,  among  them  a  war-record  entitled,  '  Cap- 
ture, Prison-Pen  and  Escape.' 

"At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  AVillard  Glazier,  then  a  mere 
youth,  entered  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry,  under  Colonel  Judson 
Kilpatrick,  and  remained  in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  rebel- 
lion, his  career  being  marked  by  many  adventures  and  hair- 
breadth escapes.  His  feat  of  riding  on  horseback  across  the  conti- 
nent, unattended,  to  gather  materials  for  a  book,  is  certainly  with- 
out a  precedent,  and  shows  a  brave  and  intrepid  spirit.  His  horsa 
'Paul'  was  an  object  of  great  curiosity  and  interest." 

Leaving  Davenport,  our  traveller  passed  through 
Moscow  and  reached  Iowa  City  October  fifth.  The 
weather  was  now  becoming  very  cold,  and  he  found  it 
necessary  to  dismount  occasionally  and  walk  some 
warmth  into  his  limbs. 

Registering  at  the  St.  James  Hotel,  Iowa  City,  Cap- 
tain Glazier  lectured  in  the  evening  to  a  very  full 
house,  a  profusion  of  cheers  greeting  him  on  his  arrival 
upon  the  platform,  whither  he  was  escorted  by  George 
B.  Edmunds,  Esq. 

Continuing  his  journey  through  Tiffin  and  Brook- 
lyn to  Kellogg,  all  in  the  State  of  Iowa,  he  witnessed, 
he  says,  some  of  the  finest  landscapes  and  grandest 
farms  he  had  yet  encountered  during  his  journey.  He 
rode  into  Colfax,  October  twelfth,  and  Des  Moines  on 
the  following  day. 

"  I  have  not  seen  a  brighter  or  more  stirring  city  in 
my  line  of  march  than  Des  Moines,"  writes  Captain 
Glazier  in  his  Journal.  He  wandered  over  the  city  in 
company  with  two  or  three  of  the  leading  citizens,  ad- 
miring its  numerous  fine  buildings  and  the  evidences 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         4Q7 

of  its  rapid  progress ;  and  the  next  day  the  Des  Moine8 
Leader  came  out  with  the  following  notice  of  his  visit : 

"  Captain  Willard  Glazier,  the  horseback  traveler  across  the  con- 
tinent, took  in  the  Exposition  on  Saturday  evening  with  intense 
gratification.  He  says  he  has  seen  no  place,  on  his  route  from 
Boston,  more  promising  than  Des  Moines.  Among  the  calls  he 
received  at  the  Jones  House  was  one  from  Captain  Conrad,  a  promi- 
nent attorney  from  Missouri,  and  now  settled  in  his  profession  in 
this  city,  who  was  a  fellow-captive  with  Captain  Glazier  in  Libbr 
Prison  during  the  rebellion.  He  continued  his  journey  westward 
yesterday,  with  the  best  wishes  of  the  friends  he  has  made  during 
his  short  stay  here." 

Captain  Glazier  speaks  very  highly  of  the  extremely 
courteous  treatment  he  received  while  at  Des  Moines. 

Adel,  and  Dale  City,  and  Minden  were  passed,  and 
arriving  at  Neola,  we  find  the  following  entry  in  the 
journal :  "  Weather  most  disagreeable.  A  drizzling 
rain  made  my  ride  to  this  place  decidedly  gloomy. 
My  journey  to-day,  as  usual,  since  entering  Iowa,  has 
been  over  the  boundless,  never-ending  prairie.  I  have 
never  in  my  life  beheld  a  grander  sight  than  this  after- 
noon, when  I  reached  the  summit  of  an  immense  table- 
land between  Avoca  and  Minden." 

Wishing  to  reach  Anita  before  halting  for  the  night, 
he  ventured  to  continue  on  the  road  after  dark,  al- 
though for  some  time  before  sunset  he  had  been  unable 
to  see  a  farm-house  or  even  a  tree  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  Giving  "  Paul "  the  rein,  he  followed  a 
blind  road,  after  crossing  a  sluice-way,  which  ultimately 
led  them  to  a  haystack  on  the  prairie,  where  the  cap- 
tain decided  to  spend  the  night.  A  pack  of  prairie 
wolves,  or  coyotes,  soon  came  upon  the  scene,  several 
of  which  he  shot,  but  he  was  shortly  after  reinforced 
by  a  friendly  dog,  who  came  to  his  rescue  and  kept  the 

coyotes  at  bay  for  the  remainder  of  the  night.     In  the 
30 


408  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

morning  at  daybreak  he  was  glad  enough  to  say  adieu 
to  the  haystack  where  he  had  passed  one  of  the  most 
unpleasant  nights  of  his  journey. 

It  may  here  be  mentioned  that  the  coyote  partakes 
of  the  natures  of  the  dog  and  the  wolf,  and  is  less  dan- 
gerous to  encounter  in  the  summer  than  in  the  winter, 
which  is  a  characteristic  of  its  wolfish  nature,  in 
the  winter,  when  food  is  scarce,  these  animals  will 
attack  man,  but  if  a  bold  resistance  is  offered,  they 
speedily  decamp. 

Hastening  forward  on  his  journey  through  various 
small  and  more  or  less  enterprising  cities  of  the  prairie, 
our  traveler  reached  Council  Bluffs  at  eight  o'clock  in 
the  evening  of  October  twentieth.  This  promising 
city  is  located  three  miles  east  from  the  Missouri 
River,  and  contains  an  enterprising  population  of 
some  20,000;  its  history  dating  from  1804.  The 
locality  is  surrounded  by  high  bluffs,  and  hence  the 
name  given  to  the  city. 

Striking  the  Missouri  opposite  Omaha,  our  horse- 
man found  he  would  be  compelled  to  ride  up  the  bank 
of  the  river  and  cross  by  ferry  to  the  northern  section 
of  the  city.  On  reaching  the  boat,  "  Paul "  declined 
to  embark,  but  with  some  encouragement  and  assist- 
ance he  was  at  length  made  to  understand  that  when 
rivers  cannot  be  bridged  or  forded,  they  can  sometimes 
be  ferried,  and  so  yielded  to  necessity. 

Omaha  is  almost  equidistant  between  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific,  and  has  sprung  up,  flourished  and  waxed 
great  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  It  is  now  the  grand 
gateway  through  which  the  western  tide  of  travel  and 
emigration  is  passing.  The  first  house  was  erected 
here  in  1853,  and  the  population  now  numbers  in  the 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         409 

neighborhood  of  30,000.  Omaha  can  boast  of  as  fine 
business  blocks,  hotels,  school-buildings  and  churches 
as  can  be  found  in  many  older  and  more  pretentious 
cities  in  the  East.  There  are  also  numerous  elegant 
private  residences,  with  grounds  beautifully  orna- 
mented with  trees  and  shrubbery,  which  sufficiently 
attest  the  solid  prosperity  of  Omaha's  business  men. 

A  story  is  told  of  the  postmaster  of  Omaha  which 
illustrates  the  changes  made  during  the  past  few  years. 
Mr.  Jones,  one  of  the  first  pioneers,  was  appointed  to 
the  office  of  postmaster  in  the  autumn  of  1854.  At 
that  time  there  was  no  office,  while  letters  were  rarities. 
The  few  letters  that  did  come  were  kept  by  the  post- 
master in  the  crown  of  his  hat  till  he  met  their  owners. 
Only  a  few  years  have  elapsed  since  this  primitive 
state  of  things,  and  the  post-office  of  Omaha  has  ex- 
panded from  a  hat  into  a  handsome  stone  building, 
worth  $350,000,  in  which  some  twenty  clerks  find  full 
employment. 

Hearing  of  the  impossibility  of  riding  his  valuable 
horse  across  the  Alkali  Plains,  he  resolved  to  leave  him 
at  Omaha  until  his  return  from  San  Francisco,  and  to 
continue  his  journey  on  a  mustang.  In  these  plains 
the  soil  for  two  or  three  feet  seems  saturated  with  soda, 
and  so  poisons  the  water  that  if  drunk  by  man  or 
beast,  after  a  fall  of  rain,  is  sure  to  be  fatal.  "  Paul  " 
was  therefore  turned  over  by  his  master  to  the  care  of 
G.  W.  Homan,  proprietor  of  the  Omaha  Livery 
Stable;  and  a  good  serviceable  mustang  purchased 
of  a  Pawnee  Indian,  to  replace  him. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

CAPTURED   BY   INDIANS. 

Cfcptain  Glazier  as  a  horseman. — Cheyenne. — Two  herders. — Cap- 
tured by  Indians. — Torture  and  death  of  a  herder. — Escape. — 
Ogden. — Letter  to  Major  Hessler. — Kelton. — Terrace. — Wells. — 
Halleck. — Elko. — Palisade. — Argenta. — Battle  Mountain. — Gol- 
conda. — Humboldt. — "  The  majesty  of  the  law." — Lovelock's. — 
White  Plains. — Desert. — Wadsworth. — Truckee. — Summit. — Sac. 
ramen  to. — Brighton. — Stockton. — SAN  FRANCISCO. 

HAVING  made  several  friends  in  Omaha,  and 
obtained  all  the  information  within  his  reach 
concerning  the  remaining  half  of  the  journey,  Captain 
Glazier  mounted  his  mustang  and  proceeded  on  his 
route  across  the  State  of  Nebraska.  Over  the  great 
plains  that  lie  between  the  Missouri  River  and  the 
mountains,  his  nerve  as  a  horseman  was  most  thoroughly 
tested,  and  not  less  so,  the  mettle  of  his  mustang,  which 
carried  him  a  distance  of  five  hundred  and  twenty-two 
miles  in  six  days.  The  approach  of  winter  suggested 
the  importance  of  reaching  his  destination  at  the  ear- 
liest possible  date ;  therefore  on  riding  into  Cheyenne 
October  twenty-eighth,  he  lost  no  time  in  arranging  to 
continue  his  journey. 

The  weather  now  became  intensely  cold,  as  he  neared 
the  highest  point  in  his  line  of  march.  Since  leaving 
Omaha,  the  ascent  had  been  gradual  but  continuous, 
and  the  point  now  reached  was  eight  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea-level. 
(410) 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.        4H 

Cheyenne,  the  "  Magic  City  of  the  Plains,"  about 
five  hundred  and  twenty  miles  west  of  Omaha,  stands 
at  an  elevation  of  six  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  and  is  perhaps  the  most  progressive  city  west 
of  Chicago.  It  is  the  capital  of  Wyoming  Territory, 
the  county-seat  of  Laramie  County,  and  is  the  largest 
town  between  Omaha  and  Salt  Lake  City.  The  gold 
discoveries  in  the  Black  Hills  of  Dakota  added  greatly 
to  its  prosperity.  In  proportion  to  its  population, 
Cheyenne  has  more  elegant  and  substantial  business 
houses  than  most  any  other  western  city.  This  is  a 
wonderful  change  from  a  place  known  the  world  over 
by  its  fearful  sobriquet  of  "  Hell  on  Wheels." 
Churches  have  risen  where  gamblers  once  reigned,  and 
many  other  edifices  for  religious  and  educational  pur- 
poses have  been  erected.  Cheyenne  is  the  trading-post 
for  the  thousands  of  ranchemen  and  stock-raisers  of  the 
plains  at  the  base  of  the  Black  Hills,  and  like  all  other 
frontier  cities,  has  a  history.  It  was  once  a  very  fast 
town,  and  it  is  not  very  slow  now. 

On  leaving  Cheyenne  he  was  accompanied  by  two 
herders,  who  were  on  their  way  to  Salt  Lake  City  with 
a  few  mustangs  and  ponies.  It  was  the  custom  of 
Captain  Glazier  to  have  company  in  his  rides  through 
this  wild  region  whenever  he  could  do  so,  and  hav- 
ing made  the  acquaintance  of  these  men  in  the  city,  it 
was  arranged  that  they  should  journey  together  as  far 
as  their  respective  routes  led  them.  The  men  were 
of  the  usual  stamp  of  herders,  rough  in  exterior  and 
plain  of  speech,  but  apparently  worthy  of  trust.  The 
captain  was  not  wanting  in  discernment,  and  his  cor- 
dial manner  won  their  confidence. 

Sherman  having  afforded  them  a  night's  shelter  and 


412  SWORD   AND  PEN. 

refreshment,  their  course  lay  in  the  direction  of  the 
Skull  Rocks,  a  huge  mass  of  granite  on  the  Great 
Laramie  Plains,  and  so  called  from  the  resemblance  of 
the  rocks  to  human  skulls. 

The  Skull  Rocks  being  in  front  of  them  at  no  great 
distance,  the  conversation  of  the  party  turned  upon 
their  peculiar  configuration,  and  opinions  were  ad- 
vanced by  each  of  a  more  or  less  intelligent  character; 
the  herders  insisting  on  the  probability  of  their  having 
plenty  of  gold  in  them.  Suddenly,  over  a  slight  ele- 
vation in  the  land,  appeared  a  body  of  Indians,  in 
number  about  thirteen  or  fourteen.  Glazier  and  his 
companions  were  not  at  first  surprised,  as  Indians  are 
often  found  on  these  plains — some  friendly  and  some 
hostile — but  mostly  those  of  the  friendly  tribes.  The 
Indians  now  advancing  upon  them  were  clearly  not  on 
a  friendly  errand,  and  were  pronounced  by  the  herders 
to  be  a  detachment  of  the  Arrapahoes.  They  were 
decked  in  their  war-paint,  and  on  seeing  the  white 
men  immediately  raised  their  war-shout,  which,  as 
travellers  on  the  plains  are  aware,  always  indicates  an 
intention  to  attack. 

The  herders,  knowing  that  they  were  in  the  presence 
of  an  enemy  who  would  speedily  relieve  them  of  their 
merchandise,  made  conciliatory  signs,  by  raising  their 
hands,  a  signal  which  is  equivalent  to  a  flag  of  truce, 
and  is  so  understood  on  the  plains.  The  signal  of 
truce  was,  however,  ignored  by  the  red-skins,  who  con- 
tinued to  advance  at  a  rapid  pace,  gradually  forming  a 
circle  around  Glazier  and  his  companions.  This  is 
the  usual  Indian  form  of  attack.  The  circle  is  kept 
constantly  in  rapid  motion,  the  Indians  concentrating 
their  fire  upon  a  stationary  object  in  the  centre  of  the 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN   ON  HORSES ACK.         413 

circle,  while  they  render  themselves  a  constantly  shift- 
ing target,  and  are  thus  comparatively  safe  from  the  fire 
of  the  centre. 

Riding  around,  and  firing  at  intervals  of  a  minute 
or  two  at  Glazier  and  his  companions,  the  latter  did 
their  best  to  defend  themselves,  and  fired  in  return 
upon  their  cowardly  assailants,  who  showed  no  desire 
for  a  parley.  The  firing  from  the  centre  was  made  over 
the  backs  of  the  ponies  and  mustangs,  who  in  such 
emergencies  are  made  to  do  duty  as  a  breastwork.  The 
circle  of  red-skins  gradually  lessened  in  diameter,  as 
the  firing  on  both  sides  continued,  when  a  shot  from 
the  carbine  of  the  Mexican  herder  killed  one  of  the 
Indians. 

The  circle  continued  to  grow  less,  until  the  Indians 
in  a  mass  rushed  on  the  three  whites,  disarmed  them, 
secured  them  to  each  other  with  thongs  at  the  wrists, 
and  appropriated  as  their  own  the  mustangs  and  ponies, 
which  had  been  their  primary  object. 

Before  yielding,  Captain  Glazier  and  his  little  squad 
had  nearly  exhausted  their  ammunition,  and  felt  that 
further  resistance  was  not  only  useless,  but  would  cer- 
tainly cost  them  their  lives.  Without  loss  of  time, 
the  prisoners  were  compelled  to  mount,  and  the  entire 
party — less  one  Indian  killed — started  off  in  a  northerly 
direction. 

Ignorant  of  their  destination,  the  herders  expressed 
their  belief  that  they  would  in  a  few  days  find  them- 
selves in  the  presence  of  Sitting  Bull,  when  their  fate 
would  be  decided.  They  continued  to  ride  at  a  full 
trot  till  about  ten  o'clock,  when  the  whole  party 
dismounted  and  camped  for  the  night.  A  fire  was 
gpeedily  built,  and  some  antelope  beef  partially 


414  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

roasted  for  their  supper,  of  which  the  prisoners  also 
partook. 

The  supper  over,  an  animated  conversation  ensued 
among  the  Indians,  while  sundry  furtive  glances  were 
cast  in  the  direction  of  the  Mexican  who  had  killed  one 
of  their  party  during  the  attack  in  the  morning.  For 
a  time  they  shouted  and  violently  gesticulated,  while 
one  of  them  was  observed  driving  a  thick  pole  into 
the  ground,  at  about  fifty  yards  from  the  fire,  around 
which  the  party  and  the  prisoners  squatted.  Presently, 
at  a  sign  from  one  of  the  Indians,  supposed  to  be  a 
.chief  named  "  Dull-Knife,"  four  of  the  red-skins  seized 
the  Mexican  and  forced  him  towards  the  stake,  where 
they  stripped  him  to  the  skin,  and  then  bound  him 
to  it  with  thick  cords.  The  whole  party  then, 
without  further  ceremony,  proceeded  to  torture  the 
wretched  man  to  death,  as  a  punishment  for  his  pre- 
sumption in  killing  one  of  their  party  while  defending 
himself  from  their  murderous  attack  near  the  Skull 
Rocks.  They  heated  their  arrow-shafts  in  the  fire, 
and  held  them  in  contact  with  his  naked  flesh,  while 
others,  at  a  distance  of  a  few  feet  from  their  victim, 
cast  at  him  their  sharp-pointed  knives,  which,  penetrat- 
ing the  body,  remained  embedded  in  the  flesh,  until  he 
nearly  died  from  the  agony.  One  of  the  party  now  ad- 
vanced with  a  revolver,  and  shot  him  in  the  head,  thus 
ending  his  sufferings. 

While  the  torture  was  proceeding,  Captain  Glazier 
and  the  remaining  herder  lay  on  the  ground  bound 
together  by  thick  cords,  and  could  offer  no  assistance  to 
their  tortured  companion.  The  Mexican  being  dead, 
one  of  the  party  removed  his  scalp  and  fastened  it  to 
his  waist,  after  which  all  sat  down  around  the  fire  and 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK         415 

seemed  in  high  glee  for  the  remainder  of  the  evening, 
for  the  most  part  shouting  and  speech-making. 

Willard  Glazier  had  never  before  witnessed  a  case 
of  torture  by  the  Indians.  It  is  true  it  was  of  a  dif- 
ferent character  from  that  he  and  many  of  his  old  com- 
rades had  endured  in  Southern  prisons ;  but  in  one 
respect  was  more  merciful,  as  the  sufferings  of  their 
victim  weije  soon  ended,  while  his  own  and  his  com- 
rades extended  over  many  months ;  in  the  one  case  the 
body  was  burnt  and  lacerated — in  the  other  it  was 
starved  and  emaciated. 

The  horses  of  the  party  having  been  tethered  by 
long  ropes  to  stakes,  to  enable  them  to  graze  during 
the  night,  a  guard  of  two  Indians  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  prisoners,  who,  still  bound  together  at  the  wrists, 
were  made  to  lie  down  side  by  side,  with  an  Indian  on 
either  hand.  The  remainder  of  the  red-skins  then  dis- 
posed themselves  around  the  fire  for  sleep. 

Glazier  and  his  companion  slept  but  little,  but  pre- 
tended to  do  so.  They  were  continually  on  the  alert, 
and  the  guard,  believing  their  prisoners  to  be  asleep, 
dozed,  and  at  length  reclined  their  bodies  in  a  restless 
sleep.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  two 
Indians  were  relieved  by  two  others,  and  all  remained 
quiet  in  the  camp.  At  the  first  streak  of  dawn,  the 
whole  body  leaped  to  their  feet  and  were  ready  to  re- 
sume their  march  northward.  Glazier  and  the  herder 
were  assigned  each  a  mustang,  which  they  quietly 
mounted  under  the  close  scrutiny  of  their  guards,  and 
the  entire  party  started  off  at  a  brisk  trot. 

No  attempt  at  escape  having  yet  been  made  by  the 
captives,  the  surveillance  became  somewhat  relaxed 
throughout  the  day,  and  the  attention  of  the  party  was 


416  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

given  to  their  own  proper  business  of  foraging.  Wher- 
ever an  opportunity  offered,  a  momentary  halt  was 
called,  and  one  of  the  party  creeping  cautiously  up  to 
a  stray  pony,  would  take  possession  by  the  simple  pro- 
cess of  mounting  and  riding  him  away.  If  more  than 
one  animal  was  to  be  appropriated,  an  equal  number 
of 'Indians  were  detailed  for  the  "duty,"  and  each  leap- 
ing on  the  mustang  or  pony  he  had  selected^would  ride 
off  as  only  these  freebooters  of  the  plains  can  ride,  with 
little  prospect  of  being  overtaken  by  the  owners.  Thus 
the  day  passed ;  as  a  rule,  half  the  number  of  the  Indians 
remaining  as  a  guard  to  the  prisoners,  while  the  others 
foraged  for  food,  and  anything  that  could  be  conven- 
iently carried  off.  They  were  now  skirting  the  Black 
Hills,  and  Glazier  had  discovered  by  this  time  that 
they  were  making  their  way  to  their  general  rendezvous, 
about  one  hundred  miles  from  Deadwood. 

As  the  second  night  overtook  the  captives,  the  pro- 
cess of  the  previous  night  was  repeated :  they  built 
their  fire,  cooked  and  eat  their  antelope  steaks,  and 
then  prostrated  themselves  around  the  fire  for  the 
night.  The  captives  were  again  bound  together  at  the 
wrists,  and  lay  between  their  two  guards.  Our  friend 
was,  however,  on  the  alert  and  wide  awake,  though  pre- 
tending to  be  asleep.  Quietly  he  passed  the  fingers  of 
one  hand  over  the  cords  that  bound  his  other  to  his 
companion,  and  concluded  that  with  patience  and  vigi- 
lance the  knot  could  be  unfastened.  While  the  guards 
dozed  and  slept  as  on  the  preceding  night,  the  eyes  of 
the  prisoners  stealthily  sought  the  ponies  and  the  arms. 

The  latter  were  always  placed  at  the  head  of  each 
sleeper,  to  be  ready  for  immediate  use  in  case  of  a  sur- 
prise. Captain  Glazier  and  his  companion  were  fully 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         417 

convinced  that  any  attempt  to  escape,  if  detected,  would 
be  followed  by  immediate  torture  and  death ;  but  were, 
nevertheless,  resolved  to  make  the  eifort.  It  was  also 
known  that  if  they  quietly  accompanied  the  Indians  to 
their  rendezvous  or  headquarters,  they  would  be 
retained  as  hostages,  probably  for  a  long  period,  and  be 
subject  at  any  time  to  be  tortured  should  a  fit  of  ven- 
geance seize  their  captors.  They  would  not,  however, 
make  an  attempt  to  escape  unless  there  appeared  a 
moral  certainty  of  its  successful  accomplishment. 

The  third  day  arrived,  and  at  dawn,  after  partaking 
of  the  usual  breakfast  of  raw  antelope  or  other  game, 
they  started  again  on  their  march.  They  rode  all  day, 
with  the  usual  stoppages  for  forage,  and  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening  camped,  supped,  and  lay  down 
for  the  night,  as  before,  after  assigning  the  usual  night- 
guards  to  the  prisoners,  who  were  again  bound  together. 

Glazier,  with  the  experience  he  had  obtained  in  the 
South,  and  his  companion,  with  his  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  plains,  kept  themselves  constantly  on  the  alert, 
prepared  to  take  advantage  of  any  opportunity  that  of- 
fered to  escape  from  their  captors.  They  had  each 
fixed  his  eye  on  a  pony  in  the  herd.  These  animals 
were  turned  out  to  graze  with  their  saddles  on,  in  order 
that  they  might  be  ready  for  instant  use,  if  required,  in 
the  night.  The  prisoners  began  snoring  loudly  under 
pretence  of  being  asleep,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
guards  dozed  and  slept  at  intervals,  but  were  restless 
until  about  midnight,  when  they  both  succumbed  and 
were  fast  asleep. 

Glazier  now  worked  at  the  cord  on  his  wrist,  and 
found  he  could  unfasten  it.  While  so  doing,  one  of 
the  Indians  moved  in  his  sleep,  and  immediately  all 


418  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

was  still  as  death  with  the  captives.  At  length  th« 
time  had  arrived,  the  complicated  knot  was  loosened, 
and  the  noose  slipped  over  his  hand,  which  at  once 
gave  him  and  his  partner  liberty  of  action.  They 
knew  where  the  arms  lay,  and  each  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye  secured  a  large  navy  revolver  without  dis- 
turbing the  Indians.  They  then  simultaneously  struck 
the  two  sleeping  guards  a  powerful  blow  on  the  head 
with  the  butt  of  their  revolvers.  The  Indian  struck  by 
the  herder  was  nearly  killed  by  the  heavy  blow,  while 
Glazier's  man  was  only  stunned.  They  then  made  for 
the  ponies,  leaped  into  the  saddles,  and  before  any  of  the 
other  Indians  had  shaken  off  their  heavy  slumber,  had 
struck  out  with  all  their  might  in  the  direction  from 
which  they  had  come,  and  in  the  opposite  one,  therefore, 
to  that  in  which  the  Indian  party  were  proceeding. 

In  a  moment,  however,  the  pursuit  commenced  in 
earnest ;  vociferations  implying  vengeance  of  the  direst 
character  if  they  did  not  halt,  were  flung  through  the 
darkness,  which  only  had  the  effect  of  spurring  the 
fugitives  to  still  greater  speed.  Glazier  turned  in  his 
saddle  and  sent  a  bullet  among  his  pursuers  in  reply  to 
their  peremptory  invitation  to  him  to  halt.  Another 
and  another  followed,  and  one  Indian  was  dismounted, 
but  the  darkness  prevented  his  seeing  if  his  other  shots 
had  told.  The  Indians  meanwhile,  who  had  plenty  of 
an) munition,  were  not  slow  in  returning  the  fire,  but 
luckily  without  any  worse  result  than  to  increase  the 
pace  of  the  flying  ponies. 

Away  they  tore  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  and  soon 
entered  a  can" on  in  the  mountain  side.  Only  two  or 
three  of  the  Indians  could  now  be  seen  in  pursuit,  and 
the  herder,  saying  it  would  be  better  for  both  if  they 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK:.         419 

took  different  directions,  at  once  struck  off  through  a 
ravine  to  the  right,  and  left  Glazier  alone.  One  In- 
dian was  observed  to  follow,  but  Glazier  sent  a 
bullet  into  the  enemy's  horse,  and  thus  put  a  stop  to 
further  pursuit.  The  Indian  now  leveled  his  carbine  at 
Glazier  and  dismounted  him  ;  and  the  latter's  ammuni- 
tion being  exhausted,  he  ran  off  towards  a  gulch,  and 
leaping  in,  remained  hidden  until  daylight.  Finding  the 
coast  clear  in  the  morning,  he  emerged  and  at  once  set  out 
walking  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  which  eventually 
brought  him  to  a  cattle-ranche,  the  owner  of  which  sup- 
plied him  with  refreshment  and  a  fresh  mustang. 
Again  turning  his  face  to  the  west  he  pursued  his  way, 
covering  the  ground  between  himself  and  the  Golden 
Gate  at  the  rate  of  sixty  miles  per  day. 

Ogden,  in  the  northern  extremity  of  Utah,  about 
forty  miles  from  Salt  Lake  City,  and  five  hundred 
and  eleven  from  Cheyenne,  was  reached  November 
thirteenth,  after  hard  riding  and  sundry  stoppages  at 
ranches  in  quest  of  hospitality  and  information.  No 
event  occurred  more  exciting  than  the  shooting  of  a 
buffalo  that  crossed  his  path — this  being  the  third,  be- 
side sundry  antelopes  and  several  prairie  wolves  that 
had  fallen  to  his  revolver,  in  the  course  of  his  journey 
since  leaving  Omaha.  On  riding  into  Ogden,  Captain 
Glazier  was  surprised  to  find  it  so  important  a  city. 
It  forms  the  western  terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific, 
and  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  Central  Pacific,  rail- 
roads, and  is  the  second  city  in  size  and  population  in 
the  Territory  of  Utah.  Besides  the  churches,  a  Mor- 
mon tabernacle  was  noticed,  the  population  being  largely 
of  the  p'jlygamic  persuasion  and  yielding  their  alle- 
giance to  the  prophet  of  Salt  Lake  City. 
31 


420  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

One  peculiarity  of  the  towns  in  these  western  terri- 
tories is  the  running  streams  of  water  on  each  side  of 
nearly  every  street,  which  are  fed  by  some  mountain 
stream  and  from  which  water  is  taken  to  irrigate  the 
gardens  and  orchards  adjoining  the  dwellings.  Ogden 
has  a  bright  future  before  it.  It  is  not  only  the  ter- 
minus of  the  two  great  trans-continental  lines  before 
mentioned,  but  is  also  the  starting-point  of  the  Utah 
Central  and  Utah  Northern  railroads.  Vast  quantities 
of  iron  ore  can  be  obtained  within  five  miles  of  the 
city,  and  in  Ogdeu  cafion  discoveries  of  silver  have 
been  made.  Fruit-growing  is  very  common  in  the 
vicinity,  and  a  large  quantity  of  the  best  varieties  grown 
in  the  Territory  are  produced  around  Ogden.  Utah 
apples,  peaches  and  pears  are  finer  in  size,  color  and 
flavor  than  any  grown  in  the  Eastern  or  Middle  States. 

November  eighteenth,  Captain  Glazier  heard  from 
his  advance  agent,  Mr.  Walter  Montgomery,  then  in 
Sacramento,  who  was  in  ignorance  of  the  captain's  ad- 
venture among  the  Indians  after  leaving  Cheyenne, 
except  that  certain  startling  rumors  had  reached  him 
of  the  captain  having  been  killed  by  the  Sioux.  Mr. 
Montgomery  had  accordingly  written  to  various  points 
for  information  of  the  missing  horseman;  and  to  allay 
the  fears  of  his  numerous  well-wishers,  who  were  in 
doubt  as  to  his  safety,  Captain  Glazier,  after  leaving 
Ogden,  wrote  the  following  summary  of  his  adventure, 
addressed  to  his  friend,  Major  E.  M.  Hessler,  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio : 

WILD  CAT  RANCHE,  \ 

IN  CLIPPER  GAP  RAVINE,  NEVADA,     ?• 
November  18th,  1876-  J 
MAJOR  E.  M.  HESSLER, 

Cleveland,  Ohio. 

DEAR  SIR  AND  COMRADE:  I  learn  through  my  advance  agent, 
Mr.  Montgomery,  that  a  letter,  manifesting  some  anxiety  for  my 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK'.    421 

welfare,  was  recently  addressed  to  you.  I  hasten  to  say  that  I  am 
again  in  the  saddle,  and  although  for  three  days  the  guest  of  the 
Arrapahoes,  I  am  still  in  the  best  of  spirits,  and  with  even  more 
hair  than  when  I  left  Cleveland.  I  should  be  pleased  to  give 
you  a  detailed  account  of  my  adventures  among  the  red-skins,  but 
have  only  time  to  tell  you  that  I  started  from  Cheyenne,  October 
twenty-eighth,  accompanying  two  herders  who  were  on  their  way 
to  Salt  Lake  City  with  a  small  drove  of  mustangs  and  Indian 
ponies.  We  were  attacked  on  the  thirty-first  of  the  same  month 
by  a  straggling  band  of  Arrapahoes,  near  Skull  Rocks,  on  the 
Laramie  Plains.  One  Indian  was  killed,  and  my  companions  and 
myself  were  made  prisoners  after  using  up  nearly  all  our  ammu- 
nition in  the  effort  to  repulse  our  assailants.  The  herder  whose  fire 
killed  the  Indian  was  afterwards  tied  to  a  slake  and  most  cruelly 
tortured  to  death.  Bound  to  my  remaining  companion  with  thongsf 
we  were  on  the  following  morning  placed  upon  ponies  and  marched 
rapidly  to  the  northward. 

Breaking  away  from  our  captors  on  the  night  of  November  sec- 
ond by  killing  two  of  our  guards,  we  were  followed  some  miles, 
firing  and  receiving  the  fire  of  the  Indians  as  we  galloped  off  on 
two  of  their  ponies  which  we  had  appropriated.  After  being  dis- 
mounted by  a  shot,  and  dismounting  the  Indian  who  had  killed  my 
horse,  I  finally  eluded  my  pursuers  by  leaping  into  a  gufch  in  the 
mountains,  where  I  remained  until  daylight,  when,  finding  no  Ii  - 
dians  in  sight,  I  pursued  my  way  on  foot  in  a  southwesterly  direc- 
tion, which  brought  me  to  a  cattle-ranche  late  in  the  afternoon. 
Here  I  secured  a  fresh  mustang,  and  once  more  turned  my  face 
toward  the  setting  sun. 

My  money  and  personal  effects  were  of  course  promptly  taken 
possession  of  by  the  Arrapahoes.  I  am  now  moving  westward 
at  an  average  of  over  sixty  miles  per  day,  confidently  expecting  to 
reach  San  Francisco  by  the  twenty-fourth  instant.  In  our  encounter 
on  the  Laramie  Plains,  five  members  of  the  "Lo!"  family  were 
sent  to  their  Happy  Hunting  Ground,  and  in  the  matter  of  scalps 
you  may  score  at  least  two  for  your  humble  servant. 

With  kind  regards  to  friends  in  Cleveland,  I  close  this  letter 
to  mount  my  horse, 

And  remain,  ever  truly  yours, 

WILLARD  GLAZIER. 

Captain  Glazier's  main  object  now  was  to  push  on 
to  Sacramento  as  fast  as  his  mustang  would  carry  him. 


422  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Kelton  (Utah),  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Salt  Lake, 
was  accordingly  reached  soon  after  leaving  Ogden, 
where  he  halted  a  few  hours.  This  station  is  seven 
hundred  and  ninety  miles  from  San  Francisco.  Stock 
is  extensively  grazed  in  its  vicinity,  feeding  on  sage 
brush  in  the  winter  and  such  grass  as  they  can  get; 
but  excellent  grazing  is  found  in  the  summer.  The 
cattle  are  shipped  to  markets  on  the  Pacific  coast  in 
large  numbers.  Terrace  (Utah)  was  the  next  resting- 
place,  seven  hundred  and  fifty-seven  miles  from  San 
Francisco,  in  the  midst  of  a  desert  with  all  its  dreary 
loneliness.  Continuing  his  pace  at  an  average  of  eight 
miles  per  hour — the  temperature  being  very  low  at  an 
elevation  of  nearly  five  thousand  feet — Captain  Glazier 
observed  a  few  only  of  the  salient  features  of  the  wild 
country  he  now  passed  through,  his  position  on  horse- 
back being  less  favorable  for  topographical  study  than 
that  of  the  tourist  comfortably  seated  in  a  palace-car. 

Wells  (Nevada)  was  duly  reached  by  the  lonely 
rider,  who  found  on  inquiry  that  he  was  now  only  six 
hundred  and  sixty-one  miles  from  his  destination.  This 
place  stands  at  an  elevation  of  five  thousand  six  hun- 
dred and  twenty-nine  feet.  Humboldt  Wells,  as  they 
are  designated,  give  celebrity  to  the  place,  which  was  a 
great  watering-station  in  the  days  of  the  old  emigrant 
travel.  The  emigrants  always  rejoiced  when  they  had 
passed  the  perils  of  the  Great  American  Desert  and 
arrived  at  these  springs,  where  there  was  always  plenty 
of  pure  water  and  an  abundance  of  grass  for  the  weary 
animals.  Hence  it  was  a  favorite  camping-ground 
before  the  existence  of  the  Pacific  Railroad.  Th.e  wells 
are  very  deep.  A  Government  exploring  party,  under 
command  of  Lieutenant  Cuppinger,  visited  the  spot  in 


OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         423 

1870,  and  took  soundings  to  a  depth  of  seventeen  hun- 
dred feet  without  finding  bottom. 

Halleck  (Nevada)  was  the  next  resting  station,  at  an 
elevation  of  five  thousand  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet. 
It  is  named  from  Camp  Halleck,  about  thirteen  miles 
from  the  station,  where  two  or  three  companies  of 
United  States  troops  are  usually  kept.  The  land 
around  is  mostly  occupied  as  stock-ranges. 

Elko  (Nevada),  twenty-four  miles  nearer  his  desti- 
nation, supplied  his  wants  in  the  way  of  rest  and  food 
for  the  night.  This  is  the  county-seat  of  Elko  County, 
the  northeastern  county  of  the  State.  The  town  has  a 
population  of  1500,  and  is  destined  to  become  an  im- 
portant city.  The  money  paid  for  freights  consigned 
to  this  place  and  the  mining  districts  which  are 
tributary  to  it,  averages  $1,000,000  per  year.  There 
are  numerous  retail  stores,  and  a  few  wholesale  estab- 
lishments, with  a  bank,  brewery,  hotels,  and  three 
large  freight  depots  for  the  accommodation  of  the  rail- 
road business.  Indians,  mostly  the  Shoshones,  of  both 
sexes,  are  frequently  noticed  about  the  cown. 

The  valley  of  the  Humboldt  continued  to  widen 
after  leaving  Elko — the  pastures  and  meadow  lands, 
with  occasional  houses,  were  soon  passed,  and  the  rider 
pushed  on  to  Palisade  (Nevada),  his  next  halting- 
place,  thirty  miles  from  Elko,  and  five  hundred  and 
seventy-six  from  Ban  Francisco. .  For  the  last  two 
hundred  miles  the  road  had  been  a  gradual  descent, 
and  the  change  of  temperature  was  very  sensible. 
Palisade  is  a  growing  little  place,  with  a  population 
of  about  four  hundred  souls.  The  town  is  located 
about  halfway  down  a  eafion,  and  the  rocky,  perpen- 
dicular walls  give  it  a  picturesque  appearance. 


424  SWORD   AND   PEN. 

Forty-one  miles  farther  west  Captain  Glazier  stopped 
again  for  refreshment  and  rest  at  Argenta  (Nevada),  in 
the  midst  of  alkali  flats.  The  road  continued  for  a  few 
miles  along  the  base  of  the  Reese  River  Mountain, 
when  suddenly  a  broad  valley  opened  out — the  valley 
of  the  Reese  River.  Turning  to  the  right  he  found 
himself  at  Battle  Mountain  (Nevada),  at  the  junction 
of  the  Reese  River  and  Humboldt  Valleys.  The  town 
of  Battle  Mountain  has  several  extensive  stores,  a 
public  hall,  an  excellent  school-house  and  a  first-class 
hotel,  with  a  large  and  rapidly  increasing  trade.  Battle 
Mountain,  about  three  miles  south  of  the  town,  is  re- 
puted to  have  been  the  scene  of  a  sanguinary  conflict 
between  a  party  of  emigrants  and  a  band  of  red-skins, 
who  were  defeated. 

Golconda  (Nevada)  was  reached,  and  is  four  hun- 
dred and  seventy-eight  miles  from  San  Francisco.  It 
is  a  small  place,  with  three  or  four  stores,  a  hotel,  and 
several  houses.  Gold  Run  mining  district,  a  little 
distance  to  the  south,  is  tributary  to  the  place.  Hav- 
ing rested  for  the  night,  Glazier  mounted  at  sunrise 
and  directed  his  course  to  Winoemucca  (Nevada),  the 
county-seat  of  Humboldt  county,  with  a  population  of 
fifteen  hundred,  among  whom  are  some  Indians  and 
not  a  few  Chinamen.  The  town  has  an  elegant  brick 
court-house,  together  with  several  stores,  hotels,  shops, 
and  a  school-house.  Winnemucca  was  the  name  of  a 
chief  of  the  Piute  Indians,  who  was  favorable  to  the 
whites  at  the  time  of  the  laying  out  of  the  city. 

Humboldt  (Nevada)  was  reached  in  due  time — an 
oasis  in  the  desert.  Here  he  was  reminded  that  he  was 
still  in  a  land  of  cultivation  and  civilization.  The  first 
growing  trees  since  leaving  Ogden  were  seen  here,  with 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         425 

plenty  of  green  grass  and  flowing  fountains  of  pure 
water.  Huraboldt  House  offered  its  hospitality  to  our 
traveler,  and  the  place  and  its  surroundings  reminded 
him  of  his  home  in  the  east.  It  was  a  great  relief 
from  the  wearisome,  dreary  views  which  had  every- 
where met  his  gaze  over  the  largest  part  of  his  journey 
since  leaving  Omaha.  Humboldt  is  the  business  centre 
of  several  valuable  mining  districts,  and  has  a  bright 
prospect  in  the  future. 

The  following  incident  is  said  to  have  occurred  in 
one  of  the  Nevada  mining  towns  not  many  miles  front 
Humboldt: 

About  the  year  1852  or  '53,  on  a  still,  hot  summer 
afternoon,  a  certain  man  who  shall  be  nameless,  having 
tracked  his  two  donkeys  and  one  horse  a  half  milt  and 
discovering  that  a  man's  track  with  spur  marks  fol- 
lowed them,  came  back  to  town  and  told  "the  boys," 
who  loitered  about  a  popular  saloon,  that  in  his  opin- 
ion some  Mexican  had  stolen  the  animals.  Such  news 
as  this  demanded,  naturally,  drinks  all  around. 

"  Do  you  know,  gentlemen,"  said  one  who  assumed 
leadership,  "  that  just  naturally  to  shoot  these  greasers 
ain't  the  best  way?  Give  'em  a  fair  jury  trial,  and 
rope  'em  up  with  all  the  majesty  of  the  law.  That's 
the  cure." 

Such  words  of  moderation  were  well  received,  and 
they  drank  again  to  "  Here's  hoping  we  may  ketch  that 
greaser ! " 

As  they  loafed  back  to  the  veranda,  a  Mexican 
walked  over  the  hill-brow,  jingling  his  spurs  pleas- 
antly in  accord  with  a  whistled  waltz. 

The  advocate  for  the  law  said,  in  an  undertone, 
''  That's  the  cuss  !  " 


426  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

A  rush,  a  struggle,  and  the  Mexican,  bound  hand 
and  foot,  lay  on  his  back  in  the  bar-room.  The  miners 
turned  out  to  a  man. 

Happily,  such  cries  as  "String  him  up!"  "Burn  the 
dog-goned  lubricator!"  and  other  equally  pleasant 
phrases  fell  unheeded  upon  his  Spanish  ear.  A  jury 
was  quickly  gathered  in  the  street,  and  despite  refusals 
to  serve,  the  crowd  hurried  them  in  behind  the  bar. 

A  brief  statement  of  the  case  was  made  by  the  ad- 
vocate pro  tern.,  and  they  showed  the  jury  into  a  com- 
modious poker-room,  where  were  seats  grouped  about 
neat  green  tables.  The  noise  outside  in  the  bar-room 
by-and-by  died  away  into  complete  silence,  but  from 
afar  down  the  cafion  came  confused  sounds  as  of  dis- 
orderly cheering.  They  came  nearer,  and  again  the 
light-hearted  noise  of  human  laughter  mingled  with 
clinking  glasses  around  the  bar. 

A  low  knock  at  the  jury  door,  the  lock  burst  in,  and 
a  dozen  smiling  fellows  asked  the  verdict.  The  fore- 
man promptly  answered,  "Not  guilty." 

With  volleys  of  oaths,  and  ominous  laying  of  hands 
on  pistol  hilts,  the  "boys"  slammed  the  door  with — 
"  You'll  have  to  do  better  than  that !  " 

In  half  an  hour  the  advocate  gently  opened  the  door 
again. 

"Your  opinion,  gentlemen?" 

"Guilty!" 

"  Correct !  you  can  come  out.  We  hung  him  an  hour 
ago!" 

The  jury  took  their  drinks,  and  when,  after  a  few 
minutes,  the  pleasant  village  returned  to  its  former 
tranquility,  it  was  "allowed"  at  more  than  one  saloon 
that  "  Mexicans  '11  know  enough  to  let  white  men's 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.         427 

stock  alone  after  this."  One  and  another  exchanged 
the  belief  that  this  sort  of  thing  was  more  sensible  than 
"  nipping  'em  on  sight  " 

When,  before  sunset,  the  bar-keeper  concluded  to 
sweep  some  dust  out  of  his  poker-room  back-door,  he 
felt  a  momentary  surprise  at  finding  the  missing  horse 
dozing  under  the  shadow  of  an  oak,  and  the  two  lost 
donkeys  serenely  masticating  playing-cards,  of  which 
many  bushels  lay  in  a  dirty  pile.  He  was  then  re- 
minded that  the  animals  had  been  there  all  day! 

Lovelocks  (Nevada)  is  three  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine  miles  from  San  Francisco,  and  its  elevation  above 
the  sea-level  three  thousand  nine  hundred  and  seventy- 
seven  feet.  It  is  simply  a  station,  with  a  few  build- 
ings connected  with  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  ;  but 
is  a  fine  grazing  region,  and  large  herds  of  cattle  are 
fattened  here  upon  the  rich  native  grasses.  There  is 
quite  a  settlement  of  farmers  near  Lovelocks.  Before 
the  railroad  came  the  pasture  lands  were  renowned 
among  the  emigrants,  who  recruited  their  stock  after 
the  wearisome  journey  across  the  plains. 

Leaving  Lovelocks,  Captain  Glazier  soon  found  him- 
self again  on  the  barren  desert.  A  side  track  of  the 
railroad,  named  White  Plains,  gave  him  rest  for  the 
night.  The  spot  is  surrounded  by  a  white  alkali  desert, 
covered  in  places  with  salt  and  alkali  deposits.  Hot 
Springs  is  another  station  in  the  midst  of  the  desert, 
and  is  so  named  from  the  hot  springs  whose  rising 
steam  can  be  seen  about  half  a  mile  from  the  station. 

Hastening  forward  he  reached  Desert  (Nevada), 
which  he  found  to  be  three  hundred  and  thirty-five 
miles  from  San  Francisco,  and  that  the  place  is  rightly 
named.  The  winds  that  sweep  the  barren  plains  here, 


428  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

heap  the  sand  around  the  scattered  sage  brush  till 
they  resemble  huge  potato  hills — a  most  dreary  place. 

The  captain  found  it  quite  a  relief  on  reaching 
Wadsworth  (Nevada),  a  town  of  about  five  hundred 
souls,  and  three  hundred  and  twenty-eight  miles  from 
the  end  of  his  journey.  It  has  several  large  stores, 
Chinamen's  houses,  and  hotels,  in  one  of  the  latter 
of  which  he  found  refreshment  and  a  bed.  His  route 
had  been  for  several  days  across  dreary,  monotonous 
plains,  with  nothing  but  black  desolation  around  him. 
Another  world  now  opened  to  his  view — a  world  of 
beauty,  grandeur  and  sublimity.  Reluctantly  leaving 
this  agreeable  place,  he  crossed  the  Truckee  River,  and 
gazed  with  delightful  sensations  upon  the  trees,  the 
green  meadows,  comfortable  farm-houses  and  well-tilled 
fields  of  the  ranches,  as  he  rode  forward. 

He  had  now  crossed  the  boundary  line  that  divides 
Nevada  from  California,  and  Truckee  was  the  first 
place  he  halted  at.  This  is  a  flourishing  little  city  of 
fifteen  hundred  inhabitants,  one-third  of  whom  are 
Chinese,  and  is  two  hundred  and  fifty-nine  miles  from 
San  Francisco.  A  large  number  of  good  stores  were 
seen  here,  and  a  considerable  trade  is  carried  on. 

He  next  reached  Summit  (California).  From  this 
point  the  road  descends  rapidly  to  the  Valley  of  the 
Sacramento. 

Several  intermediate  places  having  been  stopped  at, 
in  which  our  traveler  obtained  accommodation  for  a 
night,  we  hasten  on  with  him  to  Sacramento,  where,  on 
November  twenty -first,  he  found  himself  again  sur- 
rounded with  all  the  appliances  of  civilization.  Sac- 
ramento has  a  population  of  twenty-five  thousand.  The 
broad  streets  are  shaded  by  heavy  foliage.  It  is  a  city 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK.    429 

of  beautiful  homes.  Lovely  cottages  are  surrounded 
by  flowers,  fruits  and  vines ;  while  some  of  the  most 
elegant  mansions  in  the  State  are  in  the  midst  of  grassy 
lawns,  or  gardens  filled  with  the  rarest  flowers.  Here  is 
the  State  capitol,  a  building  that  cost  nearly  $2,500,000 
for  its  erection.  Sacramento  is  an  important  railroad 
centre,  second  only  to  San  Francisco. 

Brighton  was  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  miles 
from  the  termination  of  his  ride.  At  the  farm-houses 
along  the  road  numerous  wind-mills  were  seen.  These 
are  used  to  fill  reservoirs  for  household  wants,  and  are 
common  in  all  the  valleys  and  plains  of  California. 

A  halt  was  made  at  Stockton,  twenty-one  miles  from 
destination.  This  city  has  a  population  of  about  fifteen 
thousand,  and  is  only  twenty-three  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  It  was  named  to  commemorate  Commodore 
Stockton's  part  in  the  conquest  of  California. 

Using  all  despatch,  Captain  Glazier  pushed  on  to 
San  Francisco,  and  entered  the  city  November  twenty- 
fourth,  registering  at  the  Palace  Hotel.  He  imme- 
diately after  rode,  in  company  with  Mr.  Walter  Mont- 
gomery, and  a  friend,  to  the  Cliff  House,  reaching  it 
by  the  toll-road.  This  beautiful  seaside  resort  is  built 
on  a  prominence  overlooking  the  ocean.  Captain  Gla- 
zier walked  his  horse  into  the  waters  of  the  Pacific,  and 
then  felt  that  he  had  accomplished  his  task.  He  had 
ridden  in  the  saddle  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean — from  Boston  to  San  Francisco — a  distance  of 
four  thousand  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  miles,  in 
just  two  hundred  days. 

He  was  now  no  longer  the  slave  of  duty,  and  would 
rest  for  a  few  days  and  see  the  beautiful  city  before  he 
returned  to  the  east.  He  wandered  about,  mostly  on 


430  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

foot,  visited  and  inspected  the  numerous  public  build* 
ings,  the  City  Park,  Woodward's  Gardens,  etc.,  and  be- 
came convinced  from  personal  observation  of  the  great- 
ness and  magnificence  of  this  city  on  the  Pacific,  with 
its  three  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  covering  a 
territory  of  forty-two  square  miles,  and  the  growth  of 
less  than  thirty  years.  On  its  eastern  front  San  Fran- 
cisco extends  along  the  bay,  whose  name  it  bears, 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Golden  Gate,  and  on  the 
west  washed  by  the  Pacific  Ocean  along  a  beach  five 
or  six  miles  in  extent.  It  is  not,  however,  a  part  of 
our  plan  to  describe  this  wonderful  city,  which  has 
been  done  most  effectively  by  others. 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

RETURN   FROM   CALIFORNIA. 

Returns  to  the  East  by  the  "Iron  Horse." — Boston  Transcript  on 
the  journey  on  horseback. — Resumes  literary  work. — "Peculiari- 
ties of  American  Cities." — Preface  to  book. — A  domestic  incident. 
— A  worthy  son. — Claims  of  parents. — Purchases  the  old  Home- 
stead, and  presents  it  to  his  father  and  mother. — Letter  to  his 
parents. — The  end. 

WE  now  accompany  our  subject  on  his  return 
journey  to  the  east.  His  family  and  friends 
had  naturally  felt  great  concern  for  him  during  his 
long  and  perilous  ride,  and  he  was  anxious  therefore  to 
allay  their  fears  for  his  safety  by  presenting  himself 
before  them.  He  accordingly  purchased  a  ticket  and 
left  San  Francisco  by  rail  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  No- 
vember, and  after  a  journey  more  rapid  and  comfort- 
able than  the  one  he  had  made  on  horseback,  arrived 
in  New  York  city  on  December  sixth. 

Several  of  the  eastern  papers,  on  hearing  of  the  cap- 
tain's safe  return,  furnished  their  readers  with  inter- 
esting, and,  more  or  less,  correct  accounts  of  the  jour- 
ney. We  can  find  room  only  for  that  of  the  Boston 
Transcript: 

"  It  will  be  remembered  that  on  the  ninth  of  May,  1876,  Captain 
\Villard  Glazier,  the  author  of  '  Battles  for  the  Union,'  and  other 
works  of  a  military  character,  rode  out  of  Boston  with  the  intention 
of  crossing  the  continent  on  horseback.  His  object  in  undertaking 
this  long  and  tedious  journey  was  to  study  at  comparative  leisure 
the  line  of  country  which  he  traversed,  and  the  habits  and  condition 

(431) 


432  SWORD  AND  PEN 

of  the  people  he  came  in  contact  with,  the  industrious  and  peaceful 
white,  and  the  'noble'  and  belligerent  red.  According  to  the  cap- 
tain's note-book,  he  had  a  closer  opportunity  of  studying  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  terror  than  the  toiler  of  the  plains. 

"Accompanied  by  certain  members  of  the  'Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,'  on  the  morning  of  May  ninth,  as  far  as  Brighton,  he 
there  took  leave  of  them,  and  with  one  companion,  rode  as  far  as 
Albany,  the  captain  lecturing  by  the  way  wherever  inducement 
offered,  and  handing  over  the  profits  to  the  benefit  of  the  Widows' 
and  Orphans'  Fund  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Many  of  these  lectures  were 
well  attended,  and  the  receipts  large,  as  letters  of  thanks  from  the 
various  'Posts'  testify. 

"  From  Albany  Captain  Glazier  pursued  his  journey  alone,  and 
rode  t.he  same  horse  through  the  States  of  New  York.  Pennsylvania, 
Ohio,  Michigan,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Iowa,  and  Nebraska,  as  far  as 
Omaha.  Thence  he  proceeded  on  whatever  quadruped  of  the  equine 
species  he  could  obtain,  which  was  capable  of  shaking  the  dust  from 
its  feet  nimbly.  That  he  was  fortunate  in  this  respect  is  proven  by 
the  fact  that  he  rode  from  Omaha  to  San  Francisco,  a  distance  of 
nineteen  hundred  and  eighty-eight  miles  in  thirty  days,  making  an 
average  of  about  sixty-seven  miles  per  diem.  The  distance  from 
Omaha  to  Cheyenne,  five  hundred  and  twenty-two  miles,  he  accom- 
plished in  six  days ;  the  greatest  distance  accomplished  in  one  day 
of  fourteen  hours  was  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  miles,  three  mus- 
tangs being  called  into  requisition  for  the  purpose.  The  entire  time 
occupied  by  the  journey  was  two  hundred  days,  the  captain  reach- 
ing the  Golden  Gate  on  the  twenty-fourth  day  of  November.  The 
actual  number  of  days  in  the  saddle  was  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four,  which  gives  an  average  of  twenty-eight  miles  and  seven-tenths 
per  day. 

"  During  this  strange  journey  of  more  than  four  thousand  miles, 
Captain  Glazier  delivered  one  hundred  and  four  lectures  for  the  ob- 
ject before  mentioned,  and  also  for  the  benefit  of  the  Custer  Monu- 
ment Fund,  and  visited  six  hundred  and  forty-eight  cities,  villages 
and  stations.  He  tested  the  merits  of  three  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  hotels,  farm-houses  and  ranches,  and  made  special  visits  to 
over  one  hundred  public  institutions  and  places  of  resort.  He  killed 
three  buffaloes,  eight  antelopes,  and  twenty-two  prairie  wolves,  thus 
enjoying  to  the  full  all  the  pleasurable  excitement  of  hunting  on 
the  plains. 

"But  on  the  thirty-first  of  October,  while  in  the  company  of  two 
herders,  the  tables  were  turned,  and  a  band  of  hostile  Arrapahoes 


"PECULIARITIES  OF  AMERICAN  CITIES."   433 

suddenly  disturbed  the  harmony  of  the  occasion.  After  a  lively 
encounter,  in  which  one  of  the  Indians  was  despatched  to  the 
Happy  Hunting  Grounds,  Glazier  and  his  companions  were  taken 
prisoners,  and  one  of  the  herders  was  gradually  tortured  to  death. 
All  that  now  seemed  to  be  required  of  the  two  survivors  was  patience 
— if  they  desired  to  share  a  similar  fate.  But  in  the  early  morning 
of  the  second  of  November,  while  their  captors  were  asleep,  they 
contrived  not  only  to  escape,  but  to  secure  the  arms  which  had  been 
taken  from  them  ;  and,  mounted  on  two  mustangs  belonging  to  the 
Indians,  soon  placed  a  considerable  distance  between  themselves 
and  their  too  confident  guards.  In  the  chase  which  ensued,  Cap- 
tain Glazier  was  separated  from  his  fellow-fugitive,  and  made  good 
his  own  escape  by  dismounting  two  of  his  pursuers,  and  eventually, 
after  a  long,  hard  gallop,  dismounting  and  hiding  in  a  gulch.  What 
the  fate  of  the  herder  was  he  had  no  means  of  discovering. 

"  Though  a  man  of  usually  robust  constitution,  Captain  Glazier 
felt  the  transitions  of  climate  acutely,  but  he  experiences  no  ill 
effects  from  the  long  journey  now  that  it  is  over.  The  '  iron  horse' 
brought  him  back  to  the  East  of  this  continent  in  a  few  days,  and 
there  are  probably  few  men  in  the  States  who  have  formed  a  higher 
opinion  of  the  blessings  of  steam,  than  Captain  \YilIard  Glazier." 

Returned  to  Washington  our  soldier-author  applied 
himself  again  to  literature,  his  ever  active  brain  having 
been  sufficiently  recruited  by  the  comparative  relaxa- 
tion it  had  enjoyed  during  the  long  ride.  One  of  the 
fruits  of  his  pen  at  this  time  was  a  volume  entitled 
"  Peculiarities  of  American  Cities,"  a  subject  upon 
which  his  flowing  pen  expatiates  with  great  freedom 
and  a  nice  discrimination.  That  the  reader  may  per- 
ceive the  bent  of  Glazier's  mind  at  this  period  of  his 
history,  we  here  present  the  brief  and  succinct  preface 
to  that  work : 

"It  has  occurred    to   the  author  very  often,"  he 

writes,  "that  a  volume  presenting  the  favorite  resorts, 
82 


434  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

peculiar  features,  and  distinguishing  characteristics  of 
the  leading  cities  of  America,  would  prove  of  interest 
to  thousands  of  persons  who  could,  at  best,  see  them 
only  in  imagination  ;  and  to  others  who,  having  visited 
them,  would  like  to  compare  notes  with  one  who  has 
made  their  peculiarities  a  study  for  many  years. 

"A  residence  in  more  than  a  hundred  cities,  includ- 
ing all  that  are  introduced  in  this  work,  leads  me  to  feel 
that  I  shall  succeed  in  my  purpose  of  giving  the  public 
a  book  without  the  necessity  of  marching  in  slow  and 
solemn  procession  before  my  readers,  a  monumental 
array  of  time-honored  statistics;  on  the  contrary  it  will 
be  my  aim  in  the  following  pages  to  talk  of  cities  as  I 
have  found  them  in  my  walks  from  day  to  day,  with 
but  slight  reference  to  their  origin  and  history." 

We  will  bring  this  chapter  to  a  close  by  recording 
one  incident  in  the  life  of  its  hero,  which,  humble  and 
common-place  as  it  may  be  deemed  by  some,  is  one 
which,  in  the  judgment  of  a  majority  of  our  readers  we 
venture  to  think,  reflects  glory  upon  Willard  Glazier 
as  a  son,  and  the  nation  may  well  feel  proud  that  can 
rear  many  such  sons. 

A  subject  of  great  domestic  interest  which  had  occu- 
pied his  thoughts  for  a  considerable  period,  but  to 
which  he  had,  in  his  busy  life,  been  unable  hitherto  to 
give  the  necessary  time  and  attention,  at  this  time 
again  forcibly  presented  itself  to  his  mind.  Glazier's 
sense  of  a  son's  duty  to  his  parents  was  not  of  the 


FILIAL  DUTY.  435 

ordinary  type.  He  was  profoundly  conscious  of  the 
moral  obligation  that  devolved  upon  him,  to  render 
the  declining  years  of  his  parents  as  free  from  discom- 
fort and  anxiety  as  it  was  within  his  power  to  do. 
They  had  nursed  and  trained  him  in  infancy  and  boy- 
hood ;  had  set  before  him  daily  the  example  of  an 
upright  life,  and  had  instilled  in  him  a  love  of  truth, 
honesty  and  every  manly  virtue.  Their  claim  upon 
him,  now  that  he  had  met  with  a  measure  of  success 
in  life,  was  not  to  be  ignored,  and  to  a  good  father  and 
a  good  mother  he  would,  so  far  as  he  was  able,  endeavor 
to  prove  himself  a  good  son. 

The  Old  Homestead  near  the  banks  of  the  Oswe- 
gatchie,  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York,  where  his 
parents  still  resided ;  where  all  their  children  had  been 
born,  and  where  many  happy  years  had  been  passed, 
was  not  the  property  of  the  Glazier  family,  and  there 
was  a  possibility  that  the  "dear  old  folks"  might  in 
time  have  to  remove  from  it.  The  thought  of  such  a 
contingency  was  painful  to  Willard  Gla/ier.  It  was 
the  spot  of  all  others  around  which  his  affections  clung, 
and  he  resolved  to  make  a  strenuous  endeavor  to  pos- 
sess himself  of  it,  so  that  his  father  and  mother  might 
pass  their  remaining  days  under  its  shelter. 

He  accordingly  opened  negotiations  with  the  owners 
of  the  property  for  the  purchase  of  the  Homestead, 
and  was  soon  rejoiced  to  find  himself  the  sole  pro- 
prietor of  a  place  endeared  to  him  by  so  many  associa- 
tions. 


436  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

The  following  letter  to  his  parents  will  form  a  fit- 
ting conclusion  to  this  chapter  : 

102  WAVERLY  PLACE,     | 
NEW  YORK,  May  1st,  1878.  ) 
MY  DEAR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER  : 

I  am  just  in  receipt  of  the  papers  which  place  me  in  possession  of 
the  Old  Homestead.  This,  I  am  sure,  will  be  very  pleasing  news  to 
you,  since  it  is  my  intention  to  make  it  the  home  of  your  declining 
years:  poor  old  grandmother,  too,  shall  find  it  a  welcome  refuge 
while  she  lives.  I  have  never  felt  that  I  c-mld  see  the  home  of  my 
birth  pass  to  other  hands ;  my  heart  still  clings  to  it,  and  its  hallowed 
associations,  with  all  the  tenacity  of  former  days.  The  first  of  May 
will,  in  future,  have  special  charms  for  me,  for  from  this  day,  1878, 
dates  my  claim  to  that  spot  of  earth  which  to  me  is  dearer  than  all 
others. 

Imagination  often  takes  me  back  to  the  Old  House  on  the  Hill, 
where  your  children  spent  many  of  the  happiest  hours  of  their  child- 
hood and  youth.  In  fancy  I  again  visit  the  scenes  of  my  boyhood 
— again  chase  the  butterfly,  and  pick  the  dandelion  with  Elvira 
and  Marjorie  in  the  shade  of  the  wide-spreading  elms. 

******** 

I  have  been  working  for  you,  dear  parents,  in  the  face  of  great 
obstacles  since  the  close  of  the  war.  If  you  think  I  have  neglected 
you — have  not  been  home  in  ten  long  years,  then  I  reply,  I  did  not 
wish  to  see  you  again  until  I  could  place  you  beyond  the  reach  of 
want.  One  of  the  objects  of  my  life  is  to-day  accomplished :  and  now, 
with  love  to  all,  and  the  fervent  hope  that  prosperity  and  happiness 
may  wait  upon  you  for  many,  many  years  to  come, 
I  remain,  always, 

Yo'ir  most  affectionate  son, 

WlLLABD. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE   MISSISSIPPI   RIVER. 

An  interval  of  literary  work. — Conception  of  another  expedition.— 
Reflections  upon  the  Old  Explorers. — Indian  rumor?. — Deter- 
mined to  find  the  true  source  of  the  Great  River. — Starting  en 
the  eventful  journey. — Joined  by  his  brother  George  and  Barrett 
Channing  Paine. — Collecting  materials  for  the  expedition. — 
Brainerd  the  first  point  of  departure. — Through  the  Chippewa 
Country. — Seventy  miles  of  government  road. — Curiosity  its  own 
reward. — Arrival  at  Leech  Lake. 

AN  interval  of  three  years,  from  1878  to  1881, 
now  elapsed  in  the  career  of  Captain  Glazier; 
years  of  retirement  from  public  attention,  but  by  no 
means  of  inactivity  on  his  part.  During  this  period 
he  was  engaged  mainly  in  literary  work,  and  in  prep- 
aration for  a  forthcoming  expedition  which  his  ever 
active  and  fertile  brain  had  for  some  time  been  revolv- 
ing; and  which,  if  successful,  would  furnish  a  most 
valuable  contribution  to  the  geographical  knowledge  of 
the  world. 

The  design  of  this  expedition  was  no  less  than  the 
discovery  of  the  true  source  of  the  "  Father  of  Waters," 
the  historical  Mississippi ;  and  a  voyage  from  thence, 
in  a  canoe,  to  its  mouth  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Cer- 
tainly a  novel  and  daring  project. 

The  idea  of  such  an  adventurous  undertaking  had 
occurred  to  him  while  on  his  horseback  journey  across 
the  continent ;  of  which  a  brief  outline  has  been  given 
the  reader  in  previous  chapters.  He  had  come  to  a  point 

(4C7) 


438  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

in  his  onward  progress  which  is  noted  for  its  beauty, 
being  one  of  the  most  picturesque  spots  on  the  Missis- 
sippi ;  the  bridge  spanning  the  river  between  Iowa  and 
Illinois,  where  the  rock-divided  stream  flows  grandly  by 
under  the  shadow  of  towering  bluffs.  His  own  words 
best  describe  the  impression  which  the  scene  made 
upon  his  mind,  and  the  consequent  birth  in  his  brain 
of  the  most  notable  achievement,  thus  far,  of  his  life: — 

"While  crossing  the  continent  on  horseback  from 
ocean  to  ocean,  in  1876,  I  came  to  a  bridge  which 
spans  the  Mississippi  between  Rock  Island,  Illinois, 
and  Davenport,  Iowa.  As  I  saw  the  flood  of  this 
mighty  stream  rolling  beneath,  I  turned  in  imagina- 
tion to  its  discovery  in  1541.  I  saw  the  renowned 
DeSoto  upon  its  banks  and  buried  in  its  depths.  I  ac- 
companied Marquette  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin tc  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas;  I  followed  Father 
Hennepin  northward  to  St.  Anthony's  Falls,  and  saw 
the  daring  La  Salle  plant  the  banner  of  France  on 
the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

"  Musing  thus  upon  the  exploits  of  the  heroic  old 
explorers  who  led  the  way  to  this  grand  and  peerless 
river  of  North  America,  I  felt  that  it  was  a  subject  of 
much  regret  that  although  its  mouth  was  discovered  by 
the  Chevalier  La  Salle  nearly  two  hundred  years  ago, 
there  was  still  much  uncertainty  as  to  its  true  source. 
Within  the  last  century  several  distinguished  explorers 
have  attempted  to  find  the  primal  reservoir  of  the 
Great  River.  Beltrami,  Nicollett,  and  Schoolcraft 
have  each  in  turn  claimed  the  goal  of  their  explora- 
tions. Numerous  lakes,  ponds,  and  rivers  have  from 
time  to  time  enjoyed  the  honor  of  standing  at  the  head 
of  the  'Father  of  Waters.'  Schoolcraft,  finally,  in 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER.  439 

1832,  decided  upon  a  lake,  which  he  named  Itasca,  as 
the  fountain-head,  and  succeeded  in  securing  for  it  the 
recognition  of  geographers  and  map-makers. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  fact,  however,  that  the  claim 
for  geographical  honors  was  very  generally  accorded 
to  Schoolcraft's  lake,  as  being  the  source  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, I  had  frequently  been  told  that  many  Indians 
denied  that  their  ideal  river  began  its  course  in  Lake 
Itasca,  and  asserted  that  there  were  other  lakes  and 
rivers  above  and  beyond  that  lake,  unknown  to  the 
white  man,  and  that  in  them  was  to  be  found  the 
original  starting  forth  of  the  mysterious  stream.  These 
reflections  led  me  to  conclude  that  there  was  yet  a  rich 
field  for  exploration  in  the  wilds  of  Minnesota." 

Thus  it  was  that  Captain  Glazier  determined  upon  a 
search  for  this  great  unknown  of  waters.  The  time, 
however,  was  not  yet  ripe  for  the  fulfilment  of  his 
purpose.  There  was  promised  work  to  be  done,  duties 
to  the  public  waiting  to  be  fulfilled,  various  literary 
responsibilities  accumulated  from  the  past  which  must 
be  met,  the  projected  undertaking  itself  to  be  specially 
prepared  for; — all  this  to  be  done  before  he  could 
finally  turn  his  face  towards  his  new  goal. 

The  intervening  period  was  therefore  occupied  in 
carefully  revising  his  literary  productions.  Several  of 
his  books,  written  hastily  at  the  close  of  the  war,  had 
been  published  in  rapid  succession  in  a  somewhat  in- 
complete form,  and  the  constantly  increasing  demand 
for  their  subsequent  editions  brought  a  public  pressure 
to  bear  upon  him  for  their  needed  revision  which 
could  not  well  be  resisted. 

He  had  also  other  forthcoming  works  on  his  hands, 
which  he  was  anxious  should  be  put  into  published  form 


440  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

before  he  again  launched  himself  upon  the  sea  of  un- 
certain ventures.  In  order  to  collect  material  for  a 
contemplated  hook  upon  the  "  Peculiarities  of  American 
Cities  "  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  make  an  exten- 
sive traveling  tour;  consequently,  a  considerable  portion 
of  this  time  was  spent  in  visiting  the  leading  cities  of 
the  United  States  and  Canada.  Adding  to  all  this  the 
necessary  preparatory  labor  attending  his  contemplated 
voyage  in  search  of  the  true  source  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  it  will  be  seen  that  the  years  elapsing  between  his 
journey  from  ocean  to  ocean  and  his  latest  expedition 
were  actively  and  well  employed. 

At  last,  however,  all  his  tasks  were  accomplished, 
and  the  month  of  May,  1881,  found  him  stopping  for 
a  few  days  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  his  journey  west- 
ward from  New  York.  Leaving  Cleveland  on  the 
first  day  of  June,  he  proceeded  to  Chicago,  and  without 
further  tarrying  Avent  from  there  directly  to  St.  Paul, 
Minnesota,  intending,  to  make  this  his  first  point 
for  gathering  his  forces  and  collecting  the  material 
needed  for  his  coming  exploration.  Here  he  was 
joined  by  his  brother  George  and  Barrett  Channing 
Paine,  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana.  The  month  of  June 
was  spent  at  St.  Paul  in  collecting  tents,  blankets, 
guns,  ammunition,  fishing  tackle  and  all  the  various 
paraphernalia  necessary  for  a  six  weeks'  sojourn  in  the 
wilderness. 

Finally  all  arrangements  being  completed,  the  party 
left  St.  Paul  on  the  morning  of  July  the  fourth,  to  go 
to  Brainerd,  about  a  hundred  miles  above  St.  Paul, 
which  was  to  be  the  point  of  immediate  departure 
for  Leech  Lake,  thence  to  Lake  Itasca.  Brief  stoppages 
were  made  at  Minneapolis,  Monticello,  St.  Cloud  and 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER.  441 

Little  Falls  on  their  way  up  the  river,  until  Brainerd 
was  reached  July  the  seventh. 

Brainerd  is  an  enterprising  little  village  at  the  point 
where  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  crosses  the  Missis- 
sippi, near  the  boundary  of  the  Chippewa  Indian 
Reservation,  and  is  the  nearest  point,  of  any  conse- 
quence, to  Lake  Itasca.  Here  Captain  Glazier  stopped 
for  some  days  that  ho  might  further  inform  himself  as 
to  the  topography  of  the  country,  in  order  to  decide 
upon  the  most  feasible  route  to  his  destination,  and 
also  to  provide  such  supplies  of  food  as  were  necessary. 
After  consulting  maps  it  was  concluded  that  although 
Schoolcraft  and  others  had  found  Itasca  by  going  up  the 
river  through  Lakes  Winnibegoshish,  Cass  and  Bemidji, 
the  most  direct  course  would  be  by  way  of  Leech  Lake 
and  the  Kabekanka  River.  It  was  therefore  decided 
to  take  wagon  conveyance  to  Leech  Lake  over  what  is 
known  in  Northern  Minnesota  as  the  Government 
Road.  This  road  stretches  for  seventy  miles  through 
trackless  pine  forests  and  almost  impenetrable  under- 
brush, the  only  habitations  to  be  seen  along  its  line 
being  the  half-way  houses  erected  for  the  accommodation 
of  teamsters,  who  are  engaged  in  hauling  government 
supplies,  and  the  occasional  wigwams  of  wandering 
Indians.  It  was  opened  in  1856,  by  James  Macaboy, 
for  the  convenience  of  Indian  agents  and  the  fur  trade. 

At  length,  at  eight  o'clock  on  the  bright,  summer 
morning  of  Tuesday,  July  the  twelfth,  Captain  Glazier 
and  his  companions,  fully  equipped,  and  with  a  driver 
celebrated  for  his  knowledge  of  frontier  life,  began 
their  long  and  toilsome  wagon  journey.  A  ride  of  be- 
tween three  and  four  hours  brought  them  to  Gull  Lake, 
where  a  halt  was  proposed  and  made  for  rest  and 
refreshment. 


442  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

This  lake  was  for  many  years  the  home  and  head- 
quarters of  the  noted  Chippewa  chief,  Hole-iu-the-day, 
and  has  been  the  scene  of  many  sanguinary  struggles 
between  his  braves  and  those  of  the  equally  noted 
Sioux  chief,  Little  Crow.  The  ruins  of  a  block-house, 
remains  of  wigwams,  and  a  few  scattered  graves  are  all 
that  is  now  left  to  tell  the  story  of  its  aboriginal  con- 
flicts. A  family  of  four  persons  living  in  a  log-house 
form  the  white  population  of  the  place.  Reuben  Gray, 
the  genial  patriarch  who  presides  over  this  solitary 
household  in  the  wilderness,  delights  in  the  title  of 
landlord,  and  his  hotel  (by  courtesy)  has  become  some- 
what famous  as  one  of  the  pioneer  half-way  houses 
between  Brainerd  and  Leech  Lake. 

After  resting  for  a  while  and  doing  ample  justice  to 
the  appetizing  dinner  which  was  set  before  them,  our 
travelers  resumed  their  journey.  Pine  River  was  their 
evening  destination,  and  at  five  o'clock  they  reached 
the  ranche  of  George  Barclay,  the  only  white  habitation 
to  be  found  between  their  last  resting-place  and  Leech 
Lake.  Here  they  were  most  agreeably  surprised  to  find 
very  good  accommodations  for  both  man  and  beast. 

An  excellent  breakfast  the  next  morning,  with  the 
fair  prospect  of  reaching  by  evening  the  first  terminal 
point  of  their  journey,  put  the  travelers  in  exuberant 
spirits  for  the  day,  and  nothing  but  jolting  over  one 
of  the  roughest  roads  ever  encountered  by  them  could 
have  lessened  their  enjoyment  of  the  occasion.  A 
short  stop  was  made  for  luncheon  at  Fourteen  Mile 
I^ake,  and  this  being  their  first  meal  in  the  open  air 
they  were  enabled,  together  with  the  experience  thus 
far  gained  in  their  journeying,  to  gauge  more  accurately 
their  supply  of  rations.  It  was  readily  discovered 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER.  443 

that  they  would  need  at  least  a  third  more  provisions 
per  man  for  their  expedition  than  would  be  required 
for  the  ordinary  occupations  of  in-door  life.  It  was 
at  once  decided  to  provide  an  additional  supply  of 
bacon  and  dried  meats  before  leaving  Leech  Lake. 

After  luncheon  the  Captain's  brother  and  Mr.  Paine 
took  a  bath  in  the  lake,  while  he  himself  found  amuse- 
ment in  duck-shooting  and  in  chatting  with  some 
straggling  Chippewas,  who  were  about  launching  their 
canoes  for  a  six  weeks'  hunting  and  fishing  excursion. 
It  happened  that  Captain  Glazier  had  never  before 
seen  birch  bark  canoes,  and  they  were  therefore  re- 
garded by  him  with  considerable  interest,  their  use  in 
the  future  being  indispensable  to  the  success  of  his 
undertaking.  Now  the  Captain  possesses,  in  common 
with  most  men  of  adventurous  spirit,  a  characteristic 
desire  to  get  at  the  bottom  facts  of  everything,  and  this 
curiosity  here  caused  him  a  laughable  mishap;  for,  the 
better  to  examine  it,  he  stepped  into  one  of  the  canoes, 
when,  from  want  of  experience  in  balancing  himself  in 
so  light  a  vessel,  he  was  precipitated  into  the  lake, 
much  to  his  own  discomfort  but  greatly  to  the  amuse- 
ment of  the  spectators. 

Firmly  resolved  upon  more  caution  in  the  future, 
the  Captain  and  his  companions  pursued  their  journey 
towards  Leech  Lake,  which  was  reached  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

HOME  OF  THE  CHIPPEWAS. 

An  embryonic  red  man. — A  primitive  hotel. — An  unkempt  inhab- 
itant of  the  forest. — Leech  Lake. — Major  Kuffe's  arrival. — White 
Cloud. — Paul  Beaulieu  and  his  theory  about  the  source  of  the 
Mississippi. — Che-no-wa-ge-sic. — Studying  Indian  manners  and 
customs. — Dining  with  Indian  royalty. — Chippewa  hospitality. — 
How  the  wife  of  an  Indian  Chief  entertains. — Souvenir  of  Flat 
Mouth. — Return  of  Che-no-wa-ge-sic. — A  council  held. — An  In- 
dian speech. — "No  White  Man  has  yet  seen  the  head  of  the 
Father  of  Waters." — Voyage  of  exploration. — Launching  the 
canoes. 

UPON  the  arrival  of  the  travelers  at  Leech  Lake 
their  first  glimpse  of  the  embryonic  red  man  was 
a  little  fellow  of  about  six  years,  who  ran  out  of  a 
wigwam,  brandishing  a  bow  in  one  hand,  and  carrying 
arrows  in  the  other.  He  was  very  far  from  being 
warlike,  however,  for  with  the  first  glance  at  his  white 
brothers  he  suddenly  disappeared  in  the  bushes.  A 
little  further  on  they  came  to  a  log-cabin,  over  the  door 
of  which  was  nailed  a  primitive  pine  board,  bearing 
the  inscription — "  Hotel." 

Here  they  were  received  by  a  rough-looking  man 
with  long  hair  and  unkempt  beard,  wearing,  besides 
one  other  garment,  a  pair  of  pants  made  from  a  red 
blanket.  The  surroundings  were  certainly  not  invit- 
ing, and  a  closer  inspection  of  the  squalid  accom- 
modations did  not  lead  them  to  form  any  more  favor- 
able opinion.  However,  travelers  cannot  always  be 
(444) 


HOME  OF  THE  CHIPPEWAS.  445 

choosers,  and  they  really  fared  much  better  than  they 
had  expected,  dining  very  agreeably  on  fresh  fish  and 
vegetables;  breakfast  the  next  morning  being  selected 
from  the  same  simple  bill  of  fare,  elegantly  varied  by 
the  addition  of  "flap-jacks."  In  default  of  habitable 
beds  their  hammocks  were  swung  from  the  rafters  of 
the  loft. 

Leech  Lake  is  one  of  the  most  irregularly  shaped 
bodies  of  water  that  can  be  imagined.  It  has  no 
well-defined  form,  being  neither  long  nor  spherical, 
but  rather  a  combination  of  curves  and  varied 
outlines  made  by  peninsulas  and  bays,  of  which 
only  a  map  could  convey  any  accurate  idea.  Ten 
islands  are  found  upon  its  surface,  and  seven  rivers 
and  creeks  enter  it  from  various  directions.  It  ex- 
tends not  less  than  twenty  miles  from  North  to  South, 
and  a  still  greater  distance  from  East  to  West,  with  a 
coast  line  of  over  four  hundred  miles.  It  was  for 
many  years  the  seat  of  the  Chippewa  Indian  Agency, 
but  is  now  consolidated  with  the  White  Earth  and 
Red  Lake  agencies.  Major  C.  A.  Ruffe  is  at  present 
agent  of  the  three  departments,  with  headquarters  at 
White  Earth.  The  village  consists  of  some  half 
dozen  government  buildings,  as  many  log-cabins, 
and  about  twenty  or  thirty  wigwams  scattered  here 
and  there  along  the  shore  of  one  of  the  arms  of  the 
lake. 

The  day  after  the  arrival  of  Captain  Glazier's  party, 
the  agency  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  excitement  by 
the  announcement  that  Major  Ruffe  was  on  his  way  to 
Lake  Winnibegoshish  by  way  of  Leech  Lake.  The 
Major  came  the  next  day,  accompanied  by  Captain 
Taylor  of  St.  Cloud,  one  of  the  pioneer  surveyors  of 


446  SWORD  AND 

Minnesota,  Paul  Beaulieu,  the  veteran  government 
interpreter,  and  White  Cloud,  the  present  chief  of  the 
Mississippi  Indians,  having  succeeded  Hole-5n-the- 
day,  who  had  been  killed  some  time  before  by  one  of 
the  Leech  Lake  band. 

Paul  Beaulieu,  the  half-breed  interpreter  to  Major 
Ruffe,  possesses  a  fund  of  information  concerning  the 
Upper  Mississippi  which  cannot  be  ignored  by  those 
who  are  in  pursuit  of  its  mysterious  source,  and 
Captain  Glazier  considered  himself  most  fortunate  in 
meeting  him  before  his  departure  for  Lake  Itasca. 
Beaulieu  deserves  more  than  a  passing  mention,  as  he 
is  a  man  of  wide  experience,  and  is  well  known 
throughout  Minnesota,  and,  in  some  circles,  through- 
out the  country.  He  was  born  at  Mackinaw,  while 
General  Sibley  was  stationed  there  in  the  interest  of  the 
American  Fur  Company,  of  which  John  Jacob  Astor 
was  then  the  head.  His  father  was  a  Frenchman  and 
his  mother  an  Indian.  He  received  a  liberal  educa- 
tion, partly  in  the  government  school  of  Mackinaw, 
and  partly  at  Montreal.  On  leaving  school  he  was 
employed  by  the  Fur  Company,  and  sent  all  over 
the  United  States  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Lower 
California.  He  crossed  the  continent  with  the 
Stevens  party  on  the  first  Northern  Pacific  survey, 
and  rendered  such  valuable  services  that  he  was 
presented  with  a  testimonial  in  recognition  of  his 
efficiency. 

Beaulieu  had  a  theory  of  his  own  regarding  the 
source  of  the  Mississippi,  based  upon  the  stories  of  the 
ChSppewas  and  other  Indians  of  his  acquaintance.  In 
conversation  with  Captain  Glazier  upon  the  subject  he 
said  that  to  the  west  of  Lake  Itasca  there  was  another 


HOME  OF  THE  CHIPPEWAS.  447 

lake,  the  outlet  of  which  united  with  the  stream  from 
the  former,  and  which  contributed  a  much  larger 
volume  of  water  at  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi 
than  the  outlet  of  Lake  Itasca.  He  therefore  as- 
sumed that  this  nameless  and  almost  unknown  lake 
was  the  true  source  of  the  Mississippi. 

In  corroboration  of  the  Beaulieu  theory  Major 
Ruffe  said  that  he  had  heard  the  same  opinion  ex- 
pressed by  a  number  of  old  and  reliable  Indian 
voyagers.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  there  was  a 
great  diversity  of  sentiment  among  the  most  trust- 
worthy authorities  as  to  the  actual  source  of  the  Great 
River. 

Captain  Glazier  was  greatly  exercised  on  finding 
that  his  arrival  at  Leech  Lake  was  at  a  season  when  the 
local  band  of  Indians,  the  Pillagers,  as  they  are 
called,  were  away  upon  their  annual  hunting  and 
fishing  excursion.  Their  absence  from  the  agency 
was  a  serious  obstacle  in  the  way  of  immediate 
further  progress,  for  the  reason  that,  being  compelled 
to  take  the  final  step  in  their  expedition  to  the  source 
of  the  Mississippi  from  this  point,  it  was  important 
that  they  should  complete  their  equipment  by  secur- 
ing an  interpreter,  reliable  guides  and  birch  bark 
canoes. 

"Find  Rev.  Edwin  Benedict  as  soon  as  you  reach 
Leech  Lake"  was  the  last  injunction  Captain  Glazier 
received  on  leaving  Brainerd.  Mr.  Benedict  is  Post 
Missionary,  and  one  of  the  five  representatives  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  on  the  Chippewa  Reservation, 
holding  his  commission  from  Bishop  Whipple  of 
Minnesota.  With  this  genial  gentleman,  Captain  Gla- 
zier spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time  while  waiting  at 


448  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

the  Agency,  when  not  engaged  in  preparations  for  the 
voyage.  The  courtesy  of  a  semi-civilized  bed,  and 
the  convenience  of  a  table,  with  pens,  ink  and  paper, 
were  luxuries  to  be  appreciated  and  not  readily  for- 
gotten. 

Conversations  with  Mr.  Benedict  and  with  Flat 
Mouth,  chief  of  the  Chippewas,  developed  the  unex- 
pected fact  that  there  was  but  one  Indian  in  the  Chip- 
pe\va  country  who  had  actually  traversed  the  region 
which  the  Captain  and  his  party  were  about  to  explore, 
and  that  he  was  then  visiting  some  friends  near  Lake 
Winnibegoshish,  and  was  not  expected  to  return  until 
the  following  Saturday,  some  three  days  off. 

Satisfied  that  Che-no-wa-ge-sic,  the  Chippewa  brave 
referred  to,  would  prove  indispensable  to  the  success 
of  his  expedition,  Captain  Glazier  decided  to  await  his 
return  to  the  Agency.  While  thus  detained  the  Cap- 
tain and  his  friends  found  themselves  indebted  to 
Major  Ruffe  for  his  untiring  efforts  to  relieve  the 
monotony  of  their  sojourn,  and  to  render  their  condi- 
tion as  agreeable  as  possible  while  within  his  sovereign 
borders. 

As  an  important  part  of  Captain  Glazier's  purpose 
in  his  Mississippi  expedition  was  to  study  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  people  in  the  several  portions  of 
the  country  along  its  banks,  he  took  advantage  of  his 
present  detention  to  inquire  into  the  habits  and  traits 
of  the  Indians  with  whom  he  now  came  in  daily  con- 
tact. Some  extracts  from  his  private  diary,  graphi- 
cally portraying  the  characteristics  which  impressed 
him,  are  here  especially  interesting,  as  evidence  of  a 
certain  power  of  philosophic  reflection  and  inductive 
reasoning  unusual  in  the  mind  of  one  so  given  to  the 


HOME   OF  THE  CHIPPEWAS.  449 

excitement  of  an  active,  enterprising  life  as  was  Cap- 
tain Glazier,  who  as  soldier,  author,  and  explorer 
certainly  allowed  himself  little  rest  for  the  quiet  ab- 
stractions of  the  student. 

"  Through  conversations  with  Major  Ruffe  I  learned 
much  of  the  pioneer  history  of  the  post,  and  the  at- 
tempts to  civilize  the  Pillagers,  as  the  Leech  Lake 
Indians  are  named.  This  band  appears  to  have  sepa- 
rated from  the  other  Chippewas  at  an  early  day,  and  to 
have  taken  upon  themselves  the  duty  of  defending 
this  portion  of  the  Chippewa  frontier.  They  '  passed 
armed  before  their  brethren '  in  their  march  westward. 
Their  geographical  position  was  one  which  required 
them  to  assume  great  responsibilities,  and  in  the 
defence  of  their  chosen  frontier  they  have  distinguished 
themselves  as  brave  and  active  warriors.  Many  acts 
of  intrepidity  are  related  of  them  which  would  be 
recorded  with  admiration  had  white  men  been  the 
actors.  Perfectly  versed  in  the  arts  of  the  forest 
they  have  gained  many  victories  over  that  powerful 
assemblage  of  tribes  known  as  the  Sioux.  With 
fewer  numbers  the  Chippewas  have  never  hesitated 
to  fall  upon  their  enemies,  and  have  defeated  and 
routed  them  with  a  valor  and  resolution  which  in  any 
period  of  written  warfare  would  have  been  stamped  as 
heroic. 

"  It  is  not  easy  on  the  part  of  the  government  to 
repress  the  feelings  of  hostility  which  have  so  long 
existed  between  the  respective  tribes,  and  to  convince 
them  that  they  have  lived  into  an  age  when  milder 
maxims  furnish  the  basis  of  wise  action 

"The  domestic  manners  and  habits  of  a  people 
whose  position  is  so  adverse  to  improvement  could 
33 


450  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

hardly  be  expected  to  present  anything  strikingly  dif- 
ferent from  other  erratic  bands  of  the  Northwest. 
There  is  indeed  a  remarkable  conformity  in  the  exter- 
nal habits  of  all  our  Northern  Indians.  The  necessity 
of  changing  their  camps  often  to  procure  game  or  fish 
the  want  of  domestic  animals,  the  general  dependence 
on  wild  rice,  and  the  custom  of  journeying  in  canoes 
has  produced  a  general  uniformity  of  life,  and  it  is 
emphatically  a  life  of  want  and  vicissitude.  There  is 
a  perpetual  change  between  action  and  inanity  in  the 
mind  which  is  a  striking  peculiarity  of  the  savage 
state,  and  there  is  such  a  general  want  of  forecast  that 
most  of  their  misfortunes  and  hardships,  in  war  and 
peace,  come  unexpectedly." 

Our  explorers  were  agreeably  surprised  /rae  day 
during  their  stay  at  Leech  Lake  by  an  invitation  from 
Flat  Mouth,  the  present  ruler  of  the  Pillagers,  to  take 
dinner  with  him.  Captain  Glazier  accepted  the  invi- 
tation with  pleasure,  for  it  so  happened  that  although 
he  had  for  many  years  been  much  amon^  the  natives 
of  the  forest  he  had  never  before  had  an  opportunity 
to  dine  with  Indian  royalty. 

Flat  Mouth  is  a  descendant  of  Aish-ki-bug-e-koszh, 
the  most  famous  of  all  the  Chippewa  chiefs.  He  is 
stalwart  in  appearance  and  endowed  with  marked 
talents,  and  well  deserves  the  title  of  "chief."  At  the 
appointed  time  for  the  dinner,  Captain  Glazier,  ac- 
companied by  his  brother  and  Mr.  Paine,  went  to  his 
residence.  They  found  him  living  in  a  comfortable 
log-house  of  two  rooms,  well  floored  and  roofed,  with 
two  small  glass  windows.  A  plain  board  table  stood 
in  the  centre  of  the  front  room,  upon  which  the  din- 
ner was  served.  Pine  board  benches  were  placed  upon 


HOME  OF  THE  CHIPPEWAS.  451 

each  side  of  the  table  and  at  the  ends,  and  they  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  the  host  in  sitting  down.  Five 
other  persons  were  admitted  to  the  meal,  the  wife  of 
Flat  Month,  White  Cloud,  chief  of  the  Mississippi's, 
and  three  Chippewa  sub-chiefs.  The  wife  of  Flat 
Mouth  sat  near  him  and  poured  out  the  tea,  but  ate  or 
drank  nothing  herself.  Tea-cups,  spoons,  plates, 
knives  and  forks,  all  of  plain  manufacture,  were  care- 
fully arranged,  the  number  corresponding  with  the 
guests.  A  fine  mess  of  bass  and  white  fish  cut  up  and 
very  palatably  broiled  filled  a  dish  in  the  centre  of  the 
table,  from  which  the  host  helped  his  guests.  Birch 
bark  salt  cellars  containing  pepper  and  salt  mixed 
allowed  each  one  to  season  his  fish  with  both  or 
neither.  A  dish  of  blue  berries  picked  on  the  shore  of 
the  lake  completed  the  repast. 

While  they  were  eating,  the  room  became  filled  with 
Indians,  apparently  the  relatives  and  friends  of  Flat 
Mouth,  and  after  the  dinner  was  over,  speech-making 
being  in  order,  White  Cloud  arose,  and,  assuming  an 
oratorical  attitude,  addressed  Captain  Glazier : 

He  expressed  regret  that  white  men  had  so  long 
been  in  ignorance  of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
said  that  although  he  had  not  himself  seen  the  head 
of  the  Great  River,  there  were  many  braves  of  his  tribe 
who  were  familiar  with  its  location.  He  hoped  that  his 
white  brother  had  come  thoroughly  prepared  to  explore 
the  country  beyond  Lake  Itasca,  and  that  he  would 
not  return  to  his  friends  until  he  had  found  the  true 
source  of  the  "  Father  of  Waters."  Continuing  he  said : 
"  I  am  told  that  Che-no-wa-ge-sic,  the  Chippev:a  war- 
rior, will  accompany  you.  He  is  a  great  hunter  and 
a  faithful  guide.  He  can  supply  you  with  game  and 


452  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

paddle  your  canoe.  The  Chippewas  are  your  friends, 
aud  will  give  you  shelter  in  their  wigwams." 

After  he  had  finished,  Flat  Mouth  presented  Captain 
Glazier  with  a  beautifully  beaded  pipe  and  tobacco 
pouch,  the  work  of  his  favorite  wife,  and  expressed 
an  earnest  hope  for  the  complete  success  of  the  expedi- 
tion. Although  Captain  Glazier  needed  nothing  to 
keep  the  memory  of  this  novel  dinner  fresh  in  his 
mind,  he  will  always  treasure  this  souvenir  of  Flat 
Mouth  among  the  many  pleasant  mementos  of  his 
visit  to  Leech  Lake. 

Here  again,  in  referring  to  this  dinner  and  those 
whom  he  met  there,  Captain  Glazier's  diary  furnishes 
one  of  his  vivid  pen-pictures  in  an  admirably  con- 
ceived criticism  upon  the  mental  attributes  and  general 
character  of  the  distinguished  Indian  chief,  White 
Cloud,  the  orator  of  the  feast. 

"  I  was  much  gratified  on  this  occasion  by  the 
presence  of  White  Cloud,  whom  I  had  been  told  was 
the  most  respectable  man  in  the  Chippewa  country; 
and  if  the  term  were  apolled  to  his  intellectual  quali- 
ties and  the  power  of  drawing  just  conclusions  from 
known  premises,  and  the  effects  which  these  have  had 
on  his  standing  and  influence  with  his  own  tribe,  it  is 
not  misapplied.  Shrewdness  and  quickness  of  percep- 
tion most  of  the  chiefs  possess,  but  there  is  more  of 
the  character  of  common  sense  and  practical  reflection 
in  White  Cloud's  remarks  than  I  have  observed  in 
most  of  the  chiefs  1  have  hitherto  met.  In  his  early 
life  he  was  both  a  warrior  and  a  counselor,  and  these 
distinctions  he  held,  not  from  any  hereditary  right, 
but  from  the  force  of  his  own  character.  I  found  him 
quite  ready  to  converse  upon  those  topics  which  were 


HOME  OF  THE  CHIPPEWAS.  453 

of  most  interest  to  him,  and  the  sentiments  he  ex- 
pressed were  such  as  would  occur  to  a  mind  which 
had  possessed  itself  of  facts  and  was  capable  of  reason- 
ing from  them.  His  manners  were  grave  and  digni- 
fied, and  his  oratory  such  as  to  render  him  popular 
wherever  heard." 

Upon  the  return  of  Chenowagesic  and  other  In- 
dians, a  council  was  held  and  Captain  Glazier  stated 
his  object  to  them.  They  were  asked  to  provide 
maps  of  the  country  and  to  furnish  an  interpreter, 
guides  and  canoes.  Of  course,  it  was  impossible  to 
conclude  any  such  important  negotiations  as  attended 
an  expedition  involving  the  veritable  source  of  the 
noble  red  man's  mystical  stream  without  the  charac- 
teristic Indian  speech.  Accordingly,  Chenowagesic 
arose,  and  with  much  dignity,  extending  his  arm  to- 
wards Captain  Glazier,  said : 

"My  brother,  the  country  you  are  going  to  visit  is 
my  hunting  ground.  I  have  hunted  there  many  years 
and  planted  corn  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Itasca.  My 
father,  now  an  old  man,  remembers  the  first  white 
chief  who  came  to  look  for  the  source  of  the  Great 
River.  But,  my  brother,  no  white  man  has  yet  seen 
the  head  of  the  'Father  of  Waters.'  I  will  myself 
furnish  the  maps  you  have  requested,  and  will  guide 
you  onward.  There  are  many  lakes  and  rivers  in  the 
way,  but  the  waters  are  favorable.  I  shall  talk  with 
my  friends  about  the  canoes,  and  see  who  will  step 
forward  to  supply  them.  My  own  canoe  shall  be  one 
of  the  number." 

But  a  few  hours  were  required  to  complete  the 
maps,  and  on  the  following  morning,  three  Chippewas, 
including  Chenowagesic,  brought  each  a  canoe  and 
laid  it  down  on  the  shore  of  the  lake. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

EXPLORATION    AND   DISCOVERY. 

Launching  the  canoes. — Flat  Mouth  and  White  Cloud  again. — An 
inspiring  scene. — Farewell  to  Leech  Lake. — Up  the  Kabekanka 
River. — Dinner  at  Lake  Benedict.  —Difficult  navigation. — A  peace- 
ful haven. — Supper  and  contentment — Lake  Garfield. — Prepara- 
tions for  first  portage. — Utter  exhaustion. — Encampment  for  the 
night. — The  cavalry  column. — Lake  George  and  Lake  Paine. — 
The  Naiwa  River. — Six  miles  from  Itasca. — Camping  on  the 
Mississippi  watershed. — A  startling  discovery. — Rations  giving 
out. — Ammunition  gone. — Arrival  at  Lake  Itasca. 

THE  following  day,  July  seventeenth,  was  Sunday, 
and  Captain  Glazier,  being  a  guest  of  Rev. 
Edwin  Benedict,  felt  a  natural  delicacy  in  inaugurating 
his  voyage  on  the  Sabbath.  Mr.  Benedict,  however, 
greatly  to  his  relief,  not  only  decided  that  there  could 
be  nothing  objectionable  in  his  doing  so,  but  also 
offered  to  launch  his  canoe  and  bid  him  God-speed. 
In  fact,  Mr.  Benedict  had  done  all  in  his  power  to 
alleviate  the  discomfort  of  his  stay,  by  placing  at  his 
service  the  one  extra  civilized  bed  the  village  possessed, 
but  now  Bishop  Whipple  was  hourly  expected  to  ar- 
rive in  the  course  of  his  regular  visitations  to  the  mis- 
sionary posts  he  had  established,  and  the  Captain  was 
not  inclined  to  monopolize  a  comfort  which  doubt- 
less the  Bishop  would  appreciate  as  much  as  himself. 
Accordingly,  early  in  the  morning,  which  proved  to  be 
clear  and  beautiful,  the  explorers  met  on  the  shore  of 
the  lake,  preparatory  to  their  embarkation.  A  large 
(454) 


EXPLORATION  AND  DISCOVERY.  455 

number  of  Indians  had  assembled  to  see  them  off. 
Flat  Mouth  was  there,  watching  his  white  brothers 
with  interest  as  they  stepped  so  cautiously  into  the 
canoes,  for  Captain  Glazier  had  not  forgotten  his  first 
experience  with  one  of  these  light  vessels.  White 
Cloud,  also,  was  there,  chief  of  the  Mississippis,  think- 
ing, mayhap,  somewhat  sadly  of  the  time  when  the 
great  "  Father  of  Waters"  was  known  only  to  the  Red 
Man  who  hunted  on  its  banks,  or  glided  swiftly  down 
its  stream,  in  happy  ignorance  of  the  days  when  city 
after  city  should  line  its  shores,  and  steamboats  force 
their  arduous  way  through  its  waters.  There,  too, 
were  the  friends  and  relatives  of  Chenowagesic  and 
the  other  guides,  watching  with  characteristic  gravity 
the  final  preparations.  Rev.  Mr.  Benedict,  the  only 
white  man  on  the  beach  other  than  the  explorers,  stood 
ready  to  launch  the  canoe. 

It  was  a  scene  well  worthy  the  painter's  most  cun- 
ning skill — the  beautiful  lake,  the  wigwams  dotting  its 
shores  here  and  there,  the  dark  green  of  the  forest  in 
the  background,  the  Indians  with  their  bright  red 
blankets  adding  bits  of  vivid  coloring  to  the  scene, 
and,  at  the  water's  edge,  Captain  Glazier,  upright  and 
soldierly  in  bearing,  ready  to  step  into  his  canoe  and 
start  forth  in  search  of  the  mysterious  springs  which 
had  hitherto  baffled  the  curiosity  of  the  keenest  ex- 
plorers. 

Finally,  all  was  ready,  the  baggage  being  evenly 
distributed  in  the  three  canoes  with  an  Indian  in 
each  to  guide  and  paddle  it.  Standing  in  the  fore- 
most canoe  Captain  Glazier  signified  his  readiness  to 
start,  when  Mr.  Benedict  pushed  the  light  bark  into 
the  water,  and  waved  his  hat  in  token  of  farewell.  A 


456  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

general  waving  of  hats  followed,  and  soon  our  ex- 
plorers found  themselves  gliding  swiftly  over  the 
bosom  of  the  lake,  and  almost  out  of  sight  of  the 
friends  who  still  watched  them  from  the  shore. 

After  an  hour's  paddling  they  reached  the  other  side 
of  the  arm  of  the  lake  on  which  the  Agency  is  situated, 
and  prepared  for  a  short  portage  across  a  point  of  land 
which  brought  them  to  a  larger  arm,  where  the  wind 
and  the  waves  had  a  sweep  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles. 
Coasting  along  the  shore  for  some  distance  they  finally 
paddled  across  the  lake  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kabekanka 
River.  A  brisk  wind  was  blowing  from  the  north, 
and  the  waves  ran  so  high  as  to  cause  some  anxiety  in 
the  minds  of  those  who  were  not  accustomed  to  the 
motion  of  a  canoe;  for,  now  they  rose  lightly  to  the 
top  of  the  wave  and  anon  sank  with  a  swash  into  the 
trough,  splashing  and  dashing  the  water  over  their 
bows.  Gradually,  however,  as  they  became  more  used 
to  their  frail  barks,  their  anxiety  lessened,  and  they 
began  to  enjoy  the  beautiful  prospect  before  them,  and 
to  inhale  with  delight  the  invigorating  breeze. 

After  two  or  three  hours  steady  work  they  reached 
the  inlet  into  which  this  branch  of  the  Kabekanka 
empties.  So  choked  up  is  this  inlet  with  reeds  and 
rushes  that  it  required  some  skill  to  force  an  entrance 
for  the  canoes.  Finally  they  succeeded,  and  paddling 
up  the  river  they  came,  at  about  eleven  o'clock,  to  a 
little  lake  caused  by  the  widening  of  the  stream,  which 
Captain  Glazier  named  Lake  Benedict,  in  honor  of  Rev. 
Edwin  Benedict,  who  had  treated  him  so  courteously 
during  his  stay  at  Leech  Lake.  Reaching  the  upper 
end  of  this  lake  they  disembarked  and  prepared  to 
enjoy  their  noon-day  meal. 


EXPLORATION  AND  DISCOVERT.  457 

A  brief  rest,  in  order  the  better  to  digest  their  hearty 
dinner,  refreshed  the  travelers  so  much  that  they  soon 
re-embarked  and  pursued  their  voyage.  Leaving  the 
lake  they  entered  another  branch  of  the  Kabekanka, 
and  found  that  at  its  rnouth  the  stream  ran  between 
low  shores,  and  that  its  bed  was  so  overgrown  with 
wild  rice  as  to  make  it  almost  impossible  for  a 
canoe  to  work  its  way  through.  Further  up  the 
river  narrowed  and  ran  more  swiftly,  the  wild  rice 
giving  place  to  snags  and  driftwood,  which  made 
navigation  even  more  toilsome.  Almost  worn  out, 
our  weary  voyagers  began  to  despair  of  finding  navi- 
gable waters,  when  to  their  great  joy  they  espied 
at  a  little  distance  what  seemed  like  a  pond  filled 
with  rushes.  Struggling  onward  once  more  they  soon 
reached  the  spot,  and  found  what  they  supposed  to 
be  a  pond  was  the  outlet  of  a  beautiful  lake  about 
seven  miles  long  and  three  broad,  into  whose  quiet 
waters  they  glided  with  glad  hearts  and  a  shout  of 
delight. 

It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  time  to  look 
about  for  a  camping-ground,  on  which  to  spend  the 
night.  Paddling  slowly  up  the  lake,  trolling  for  fish 
as  they. went,  they  soon  found  a  spot  which  answered 
their  purpose  admirably.  It  was  a  bluff  near  the  lake, 
wooded  with  Norway  pines,  and  sloping  rather  abruptly 
towards  the  water.  By  this  time  they  had  caught  half 
a  dozen  fine  pickerel,  and,  disembarking,  they  soon  had 
their  fire  built,  tents  pitched  and  hammocks  swung. 
The  guides  prepared  the  supper  of  broiled  fish,  accom- 
panied by  such  canned  dainties  as  had  been  brought 
from  civilization,  and  their  keen  appetites  caused 
by  the  fresh  breeze  and  toilsome  paddling  prepared 


458  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

them  to  enjoy  with  zest  their  first  supper  in  the  open 
air. 

Supper  being  over  they  whiled  away  the  time  very 
pleasantly  by  commenting  upon  the  experiences  of  the 
day,  ami  discussing  the  object  of  their  undertaking, 
and  so  free  were  they  from  all  discomfort,  even  of 
that  caused  by  those  torments,  the  mosquitoes,  they 
felt  ready  to  declare  the  hardships  of  their  voyage  had 
been  much  mngnified.  In  this  peaceful  and  contented 
frame  of  mind  they  retired  to  their  tents  and  slept 
soundly  until  next  morning. 

Rising  at  break  of  day  they  were  soon  on  the  water 
making  their  way  to  the  head  of  the  lake,  where  they 
breakfasted,  and  upon  learning  that  no  name  had  ever 
been  given  to  this  beautiful  body  of  water,  Captain 
Glazier  designated  it  Lake  Garfieid,  in  honor  of  our 
martyred  President. 

After  breakfast  they  were  informed  by  the  guides 
that  they  had  now  come  to  the  end  of  uninterrupted 
water  communication,  and  must  prepare  for  a  portage 
of  two  and  a  half  miles.  Little  did  any  of  the  white 
members  of  the  party  guess  what  this  meant,  and  so 
with  light  hearts  they  packed  their  traps  into  con- 
venient bundles  and  prepared  to  take  up  the  line  of 
march.  The  Indians,  in  the  meanwhile,  had  made  for 
themselves  packs  weighing  about  a  hundred  pounds. 
These  packs  they  wrapped  in  blankets  and  secured 
with  a  strap  which  passed  over  their  foreheads,  the 
packs  resting  on  their  shoulders.  Each  then  placed  a 
canoe,  bottom  upwards,  on  top  of  his  pack,  holding  it 
there  by  means  of  a  cross  bar. 

All  were  now  ready,  and  the  order,  "  March,"  was 
given.  Off  started  the  Indians  in  single  file  with  as 


EXPLORATION  AND  DISCOVERT.  459 

much  apparent  ease  as  if  they  were  taking  a  pleasure 
walk  along  a  well-beaten  path  instead  of  plunging, 
heavily  laden,  into  the  recesses  of  a  trackless  forest. 
Captain  Glazier,  his  brother  and  Mr.  Paine  followed 
their  lead,  guided  only  by  the  white  bottoms  of  the 
canoes  gleaming  through  the  dense  foliage.  It  was 
almost  impossible  to  keep  up  with  the  Indians,  whose 
steady  trot  at  times  increased  to  a  run,  and  in  their 
efforts  to  do  so  they  barked  their  shins,  scratched  their 
hands  and  faces,  tore  their  clothes,  and  were  almost  de- 
voured by  the  mosquitoes.  On  they  went,  however, 
determined  not  to  be  beaten  by  the  red  man,  who 
showed  no  sign  of  fatigue  or  stopping.  Finally,  in 
spite  of  their  determination  to  the  contrary,  they  felt 
absolutely  compelled  to  cry  "  halt,"  when  lo !  the  In- 
dians halted,  removed  their  packs,  and,  smiling  back 
at  them,  no  doubt  in  appreciation  of  their  discomfort, 
calmly  began  to  pick  the  blue  berries  which  grew  in 
abundance  all  along  the  route.  With  a  sigh  of  relief, 
the  rest  of  the  party  threw  themselves  full  length  upon 
the  ground,  utterly  and  completely  exhausted,  and 
fairly  groaned  aloud  when  they  saw  the  Indians  were 
about  to  resume  their  packs.  There  was  no  help  for  it, 
however,  so  starting  up  they  prepared  to  follow,  but  at 
a  somewhat  slower  pace.  For  several  hours  they  con- 
tinued their  fatiguing  journey,  until,  at  eleven  o'clock, 
reaching  a  high,  clear  piece  of  ground,  they  decided  to 
rest  and  have  dinner. 

After  dinner  they  found  they  were  far  too  weary  to 
proceed,  so  the  Indians,  who  were  apparently  as  fresh 
as  when  they  first  started,  made  two  trips  to  the  next 
lake,  carrying  everything.  On  their  last  trip  they 
were  accompanied  by  their  exhausted  white  brethren, 


460  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

who  succeeded  at  last  in  summoning  up  sufficient  resolu- 
tion to  carry  themselves. 

Embarking  once  more  in  their  canoes  they  pulled 
through  three  small  lakes  connected  by  creeks,  finally 
camping  for  the  night  on  the  shore  of  a  fourth  lake. 
The  next  morning  they  were  up  bright  and  early  and 
ready  to  resume  their  voyage,  which  for  this  day  con- 
sisted of  a  chain  of  lakes  sometimes  connected  by  small 
creeks,  but  more  frequently  requiring  them  to  make  a 
portage  from  one  to  the  other.  Gabekanazt  ba,  mean- 
ing "portage,"  is  the  Indian  name  applied  to  these 
lakes  and  the  stream  which  connects  some  of  them ; 
but  Captain  Glazier,  assuming  the  right  tacitly  yielded 
to  all  explorers,  called  them  in  order  after  the  brave 
cavalry  commanders  of  the  Rebellion.  Bayard,  Stone- 
man,  Pleasanton,  Custer,  Kilpatrick,  Gregg,  Buford 
and  Davies,  form  the  column,  with  Sheridan,  as  the 
name  of  the  largest  and  finest,  at  its  head. 

Finally,  they  reached  a  lake  of  considerable  size 
whose  Indian  name,  translated,  means  Blue  Snake. 
This  they  crossed  at  a  point  where  its  width  is  about 
five  miles,  catching  a  number  of  fine  bass  as  they  went, 
and  camped  for  the  night  on  a  strip  of  land  between  it 
and  a  second  lake  about  half  its  size.  These  two 
bodies  of  water  were  respectively  denominated  by 
Captain  Glazier  Lake  George  and  Lake  Paine,  after 
his  brother  George  and  Mr.  Barrett  Channing  Paine, 
who  accompanied  him  throughout  his  entire  voyage, 
sharing  his  dangers  and  rejoicing  in  his  ultimate 
success. 

Upon  resuming  their  journey  next  morning,  July 
twentieth,  the  canoes  were  paddled  across  a  corner  of 
Lake  Paine,  and,  after  a  portage  of  half  a  mile,  they  en- 


EXPLORATION  AND  DISCOVERT.  461 

tered  a  small  river,  called  by  the  Indians  Naiwa.  This 
river  they  descended  for  about  five  miles,  and  after  mak- 
ing another  short  portage,  reached  a  little  stream,  upon 
the  shore  of  which  they  rested  for  dinner.  Resuming 
their  voyage  they  arrived  at  a  beautiful  lake  late  in 
the  afternoon,  upon  which  Captain  Glazier  bestowed 
the  name  of  Elvira,  in  memory  of  his  oldest  sister. 

Here  the  Indians  informed  them  that  they  were  only 
six  miles  from  Itasca,  but  the  joy  with  which  they  re- 
ceived the  good  news  was  somewhat  checked  when  they 
heard  that  the  whole  distance,  with  the  exception  of 
one  small  pond,  must  be  made  by  portage.  However, 
they  had  a  night's  rest  before  them,  so  taking  the 
canoes  out  of  the  water,  they  were  carried  to  the  top 
of  the  nearest  ridge  of  land,  where  the  tents  were 
pitched  for  the  night. 

Their  camp  was  now  situated  on  one  of  a  series  of 
diluvial  ridges  which  forms  the  highest  ground  between 
the  Alleghany  and  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is,  in  fact, 
the  watershed  separating  the  Mississippi,  Red  River  of 
the  North  and  St.  Lawrence  River  systems,  all  these 
great  streams  having  their  origin  in  springs  or  lakes 
found  within  this  section  of  Minnesota. 

While  camping  here  a  discovery  was  made  which 
caused  the  party  much  uneasiness.  This  was  no  less 
a  fact  than  that  their  supply  of  canned  meats  and 
other  rations  was  fast  giving  out.  To  appreciate  their 
situation  under  these  circumstances  we  must  remem- 
ber that  they  were  far  from  any  trading  post,  and  in  a 
country  where  they  could  not  hope  to  find  even  an  In- 
dian at  that  season  of  the  year,  the  many  lakes  and 
marshy  ground  making  hunting  impracticable.  To 
add  to  their  dismay,  it  was  also  discovered  that  during 
34 


462  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

one  of  the  exhausting  portages  the  trolling  hooks  had 
been  lost  in  passing  through  a  bog,  while  their  ammu- 
nition was  reduced  to  sixty-five  rounds.  Too  late  did 
the  Captain  regret  the  permission  given  to  his  brother 
and  Mr.  Paine,  both  of  whom  were  but  amateur  sports- 
men, to  fire  at  any  game  they  might  see.  They  had 
blazed  away  recklessly  during  the  entire  voyage,  so  far 
succeeding  in  killing  but  one  duck.  Evidently  they 
could  not  be  depended  upon  to  replenish  the  depleted 
larder.  Something  had  to  be  done,  and  after  resolu- 
tions of  strict  economy  were  proposed  and  unanimously 
adopted,  it  was  decided  that  hereafter  the  Captain 
should  occupy  the  bow  of  the  first  canoe,  and,  with 
gun  cocked,  be  ready  to  fire  at  any  game  which  a  sudden 
turn  in  the  river  might  discover.  How  the  explorers 
wished  they  could  subsist  on  the  blue  berries  which 
were  fully  as  abundant  as  the  mosquitoes  along  the 
entire  route!  But  it  required  incessant  eating  of  these 
to  satisfy  the  appetite,  and  even  then,  hunger,  in  a  short 
time,  asserted  its  former  sway. 

The  morning  following  this  discovery  was  so  foggy 
that  it  was  impossible  to  make  a  start  before  seven 
o'clock.  The  day  was  warm,  and  the  journey  un- 
usually fatiguing,  consisting  mainly  of  a  portage 
twice  the  length  of  the  first  one  they  had  en- 
countered. It  was,  therefore,  with  unfeigned  delight 
that,  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  twenty-first  of 
July,  they  discovered  the  placid  waters  of  Itasca 
just  ahead  of  them.  Launching  their  canoes,  they 
soon  reached  Schoolcraft's  Island,  after  a  pull  of 
about  two  miles,  and  prepared  to  make  this  point 
their  headquarters. 

Lake  Itasca  was  discovered  by  Henry  Howe  School- 


EXPLORATION  AND  DISCOVERY.   ,       463 

craft  in  1832,  and  was  located  by  him  as  the  source  of 
the  Mississippi.  It  is  a  beautiful  body  of  water,  with 
an  extreme  length  of  about  five  miles,  and  an  average 
breadth  of  a  mile  and  a  half.  It  has  three  arras  of 
nearly  equal  size,  and  the  island,  named  after  the  dis- 
coverer of  the  lake,  is  situated  near  the  point  where 
they  come  together.  This  island  proved  to  be  about 
three  acres  in  extent,  and  is  so  covered  with  under- 
brush that  our  gallant  little  party  had  much  difficulty 
in  clearing  a  sufficient  space  for  their  camp.  Only  one 
or  two  trees  of  any  size  were  found,  and  on  the  largest 
of  these,  a  pine,  Mr.  Paine  carved  their  names  and  the 
date  of  their  arrival. 

By  this  time  Captain  Glazier  had  become  more  than 
ever  convinced,  through  conversations  with  Chenowa- 
gesic,  that  he  was  right  in  his  preconceived  opinion 
that  Itasca  was  not  the  source  of  the  Mississippi.  He 
was  also  satisfied  that  Chenowagesic  was  pre-emi- 
nently fitted  to  aid  him  in  discovering,  the  fountain 
head,  owing  to  the  fact  that  he  was  thoroughly  at  home 
in  that  region,  having  hunted  and  trapped  there  for 
many  years.  So  intense  had  become  the  Captain's  de- 
sire not  to  return  until  he  had  thoroughly  explored 
Itasca  and  the  surrounding  country,  that  it  was  with 
an  anxious  heart  he  now  put  the  question  to  his  com- 
panions would  they  be  willing,  on  such  a  limited  sup- 
ply of  rations  as  they  had  remaining,  to  assit-t  him  in 
his  explorations,  or  would  they  vote  for  an  immediate 
descent  of  the  river?  To  his  great  relief  he  found  he 
had  so  completely  inoculated  them,  or  at  least  his 
brother  and  Mr.  Paine,  with  his  own  ambition  that 
witli  one  voice  they  decided  in  favor  of  a  thorough  ex- 
ploration. The  Indians  were  soon  persuaded  to  give 


464  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

their  consent,  and  so,  before  retiring  for  the  night,  the 
entire  party  expressed  their  determination  to  stand  by 
the  Captain  until  he  was  satisfied  that  every  effort  had 
been  made  to  discover  the  remotest  springs  in  which 
the  Great  River  really  had  its  origin. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

DISCOVERY   OF   THE  SOURCE   OF   THE   MISSISSIPPI. 

Short  rations. — Empty  haversacks  and  depleted  cartridge-boxes. — • 
Statement  of  Chenowagesic. — Captain  Glazier's  diary. — Vivid 
description. — Coasting  Itasca. — Chenowageaic  puzzled. — The  bar- 
rier overcome. — Victory  !  the  Infant  Mississippi. — Enthusiastic 
desire  to  see  the  source. — The  goal  reached. — A  beautiful 
lake. — The  fountain  head. — An  American  the  first  white  man 
to  stand  by  its  side. — Schoolcraft. — How  he  came  to  miss  the 
lake. — Appropriate  ceremonies. —  Captain  Glazier's  npeech. — 
Naming  the  lake. — Chenowagesic. — Military  honors. — "Three 
cheers  for  the  explorer." 

/CAPTAIN  GLAZIER  had  instructed  his  Indian 
V_V  guides  to  wake  him  early  the  following  morn- 
ing, July  twenty-second  ;  but  when  he  himself  awoke 
at  six  o'clock  he  found  the  remainder  of  the  party  still 
sound  asleep,  the  toilsome  portages  of  the  preceding 
day  having  completely  exhausted  them.  Rousing  his 
companions,  preparations  were  begun  for  breakfast, 
which  consisted  of  a  small  piece  of  bacon  and  one 
"flap-jack"  each.  But  the  determination  of  the 
previous  night  had  so  inspirited  all  that  the  small 
dimensions  of  the  breakfast  were  scarcely  noticed,  and 
the  conversation  turned  upon  the  absorbing  topic — 
would  they  discover  a  source  of  the  Mississippi  other 
than  Lake  Itasca? 

Chenowagesic  again  repeated  his  statement  that 
there  was  another  lake  to  the  south,  which  he  called 
Pokcgama,  meaning,  "a  lake  on  the  side  of  or  beyond 

(465) 


466  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

another  lake."  This  lake,  he  said,  was  smaller  than 
Itasca,  but  contributed  to  the  latter  through  its  largest 
inflowing  stream.  Captain  Glazier,  therefore,  instructed 
him  to  guide  them  to  this  lake  and  allow  them  to 
make  their  own  observations  regarding  it.  Accord- 
ingly, breakfast  being  over,  the  canoes  were  launched 
and  the  coasting  of  Itasca  begun. 

Captain  Glazier's  own  account  of  the  events  suc- 
ceeding this  breakfast  on  Schoolcraft's  Island  is  so 
clear,  and  his  description  brings  so  vivid  a  picture 
before  the  eye  of  the  reader,  that  it  is  only  necessary 
to  quote  the  following  passages  from  his  diary  for  all 
to  understand  the  importance  of  the  discovery  which 
he  made. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  we  were  no-w  con- 
fronted with  empty  haversacks  and  depleted  cartridge 
boxes  my  companions  were  still  eager  to  follow  my 
lead  in  the  work  of  exploration  beyond  Itasca,  which 
from  the  beginning  had  been  the  controlling  incentive 
of  our  expedition,  the  grand  objective  towards  which 
we  bent  all  our  energies.  To  stand  at  the  source  ;  to 
look  upon  the  remotest  rills  and  springs  which  contrib- 
ute to  the  birth  of  the  Great  River  of  North  America  ; 
to  write  'Finis'  in  the  volume  opened  by  the  re- 
nowned De  Soto  more  than  three  hundred  years  ago, 
and  in  which  Marquette,  La  Salic,  Hennepin,  Joliet, 
Beitrami,  Nicollet  and  Schoolcraft  have  successively 
inscribed  their  names,  was  quite  enough  to  revive  the 
drooping  spirits  of  the  most  depressed. 

"During  our  encampment  on  the  island  Cheno- 
wagesic  again  reminded  me  that  he  had  planted  corn 
here  many  years  ago,  and  that  his  wigwam  once  stood 
upon  the  spot  where  we  had  pitched  our  tents.  He 


SOURCE  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  467 

also  repeated  what  he  told  me  before  launching  the 
canoes  at  Leech  Lake  that  the  region  about  Lake 
Itasca  was  his  hunting-ground,  and  that  he  was  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  all  the  rivers,  lakes  and  ponds 
within  an  hundred  miles.  He  further  said  that  Paul 
Beaulieu  was  in  error  concerning  the  source  of  the 
Great  River,  and  led  me  to  conclude  that  the  primal 
reservoir  was  above  and  beyond  Itasca,  and  that  this 
lake  was  simply  an  expansion  of  the  Mississippi,  as  is 
Bemidji,  Cass,  Winnibegoshish  and  several  others. 

"  Fully  convinced  that  the  statements  of  Cheno- 
wagesic  were  entirely  trustworthy,  and  knowing  from 
past  experience  that  he  was  perfectly  reliable  as  a 
guide,  we  put  our  canoes  into  the  water  at  eight  o'clock, 
and  at  once  began  the  work  of  coasting  Itasca  for  its 
feeders.  We  found  the  outlets  of  six  small  streams, 
two  having  well-defined  mouths,  and  four  filtering 
into  the  lake  through  bogs.  The  upper  end  of  the 
southwestern  arm  is  heavily  margined  with  rushes  and 
swamp  grass,  and  it  was  not  without  considerable  dif- 
ficulty that  we  forced  our  way  through  this  natural 
barrier  into  the  larger  of  the  two  open  streams  which 
flow  into  this  end  of  the  lake. 

"Although  perfectly  familiar  with  the  topography 
of  the  country,  and  entirely  confident  that  he  could 
lead  us  to  the  beautiful  lake  which  he  had  so  often 
described,  Chenowagesic  was  for  some  moments  greatly 
disturbed  by  the  network  of  rushes  in  which  we 
found  ourselves  temporarily  entangled.  Leaping 
from  his  canoe  he  pushed  the  rushes  right  and  left 
with  his  paddle,  and  soon,  to  our  great  delight,  threw 
up  his  hands  and  gave  a  characteristic  Chippewa  yell, 
thereby  signifying  that  he  had  found  the  object  of  liis 


468  SWORD  AND  PEX. 

search.  Returning,  he  seized  the  bow  of  my  canoe 
with  his  hand  and  pulled  it  after  him  through  the 
rushes  out  into  the  clear,  glistening  waters  of  the  In- 
fant Mississippi,  which  at  the  point  of  entering  Itasca 
is  seven  feet  wide  and  one  foot  deep. 

"  Slow  and  sinuous  progress  of  two  hundred  yards 
brought  us  to  a  blockade  of  logs  and  shallow  water. 
Determined  to  float  in  my  canoe  upon  the  surface  of 
the  lake  towards  which  we  were  paddling,  I  directed 
the  guides  to  remove  the  obstruction,  and  continued  to 
urge  the  canoes  rapidly  forward,  although  opposed  by 
a  strong  and  constantly  increasing  current.  Some- 
times we  found  it  necessary  to  lift  the  canoes  over  logs, 
and  occasionally  to  remove  diminutive  sand-bars  from 
the  bed  of  the  stream  with  our  paddles.  As  we  neared 
the  head  of  this  Alphan  section  of  the  mighty  river, 
we  could  readily  touch  both  shores  with  our  hands  at 
the  same  time,  while  the  average  depth  of  water  in  the 
channel  did  not  exceed  four  inches. 

"Every  paddle-stroke  seemed  to  increase  the  ardor 
with  which  we  were  carried  forward.  'The  desire  to 
see  the  actual  source  of  a  river  so  celebrated  as  the 
Mississippi — a  river  whose  mouth  had  been  reached  by 
La  Salle  nearly  two  centuries  before — was  perhaps  pre- 
dominant. In  their  eagerness  to  get  a  first  glimpse  of 
the  glittering  nymph  we  had  been  pursuing,  and  greatly 
annoyed  by  the  slow  progress  made  in  the  canoes,  my 
brother  and  Mr.  Paine  stepped  ashore  and  proposed  a 
race  to  the  crest  of  the  hill  which  Chenowagesic 
told  them  overhung  the  lake.  To  this  flank  move- 
ment on  the  part  of  my  companions  I  made  objection, 
and  insisted  that  all  should  see  the  goal  of  our  voyage 
from  the  canoes.  What  had  long  been  sought  at  last 


SOURCE  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI.  469 

appeared  suddenly.  On  pulling  and  pushing  our  way 
through  a  network  of  rushes  similar  to  the  one  en- 
countered on  leaving  Itasca,  the  cheering  sight  of  u 
transparent  body  of  water  burst  upon  our  view.  It  was 
a  beautiful  lake — the  source  of  the  '  Father  of  Waters.' 

"A  few  moments  later  and  our  little  flotilla  of  three 
canoes  was  put  in  motion,  headed  for  a  small  promon- 
tory which  we  discerned  at  the  opposite  end  of  the 
lake.  We  paddled  slowly  across  one  of  the  purest  and 
most  tranquil  sheets  of  water  we  had  encountered  in 
our  voyage.  Not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring.  Wre 
halted  frequently  to  scan  its  shores,  and  to  run  our 
eyes  along  the  verdure-covered  hills  which  enclose  its 
basin.  These  elevations  are  at  a  distance  of  from 
three  to  four  miles,  and  are  covered  chiefly  with  white 
pines,  intermingled  with  the  cedar,  spruce  and  tamarack. 
The  beach  is  fringed  with  a  mixed  foliage  of  the  ever- 
green species.  At  one  point  we  observed  pond  lilies, 
and  at  another  a  small  quantity  of  wild  rice. 

"As  we  neared  the  promontory  towards  which  we 
were  paddling,  a  deer  was  seen  standing  on  the  shore, 
and  an  eagle  swept  majestically  over  our  heads  with  food 
for  her  young,  which  we  soon  discovered  were  securely 
lodged  in  the  top  of  a  tall  pine.  The  water-fowl  no- 
ticed upon  the  lake  were  apparently  little  disturbed  by 
our  presence,  and  seldom  left  the  surface  of  the  water. 

"  This  lake  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  its  greatest 
diameter,  and  Would  be  nearly  an  oval  in  form,  but  for 
a.  single  promontory  which  extends  its  shores  into  the 
lake  so  as  to  give  it  in  outline  the  appearance  of  a 
heart.  Its  feeders  are  three  boggy  streams,  two  of 
which  enter  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  headland,  and 
have  their  origin  in  springs  at  the  foot  of  saud-lnlls, 


470  SWORD  AND   PEN. 

from  two  to  three  miles  distant.  The  third  is  but  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  length,  and  is  the  outlet  of  a  small 
lake  situated  in  a  marsh  to  the  westward,  which  I 
named  Alice,  after  my  daughter.  The  three  creeks 
were  designated  Elk,  Excelsior  and  Eagle. 

"  Tha  latitude  of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  is  47° 
13'  25".  Its  height  above  the  sea  is  an  object  of  geo- 
graphical interest,  which,  in  the  absence  of  actual  survey, 
it  may  subserve  the  purposes  of  useful  inquiry  to  esti- 
mate. From  notes  taken  during  the  ascent  it  cannot 
be  less  than  three  feet  above  Lake  Itasca.  Adding 
the  estimate  of  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  feet  submitted  by  Schoolcraft  in  1832  as  the  eleva- 
tion of  that  lake,  the  Mississippi  may  be  said  to  origi- 
nate in  an  altitude  of  fifteen  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  feet  above  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Its  length,  taking 
former  data  as  the  basis  and  computing  through  the 
western  fork,  may  be  placed  at  thirteen  hundred  and 
eighty-four  miles.  Assuming  that  the  barometrical 
height  of  its  source  is  sixteen  hundred  feet,  it  has  ;i 
mean  descent  of  over  six  inches  per  mile. 

"The  highest  latitude  attained  by  the  Mississippi  is 
in  Lake  Bemidji,  which  cannot  vary  but  a  few  minutes 
from  forty-seven  degrees.  Its  origin  in  the  remote  and 
unfrequented  region  of  country  between  Leech  Lake 
and  Red  River,  not  less  than  an  entire  degree  of  lati- 
tude south  of  Turtle  Lake,  which  was  for  many  years 
regarded  as  the  source,  throws  both  forks  of  the  stream 
out  of  the  usual  route  of  the  fur  trade,  and  furnishes 
perhaps  the  best  reason  why  its  head  has  remained  s<> 
long  enveloped  in  obscurity." 

It  will  be  readily  seen  from  this  vigorous  descrip 
tion  of  the  new-found    lake    that    the  source  of   the 


SOURCE  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI.  471 

Mississippi  is  at  last  correctly  located.  Many  others 
have  attempted  to  find  it:  Schoolcraft  was  sent  out  by 
the  Government  especially  for  its  discovery,  but  it  re- 
mained for  Captain  Glazier  to  successfully  accomplish 
an  undertaking  which  had  hitherto  baffled  the  most 
determined  explorers.  This,  too,  he  did  entirely  at 
his  own  expense,  and  with  no  other  motive  than  such 
as  an  ardent  search  after  truth  inspires  in  ambitious 
minds.  He  had  long  doubted  that  Itasca  was  the 
source  of  our  greatest  river.  He  knew  no  other  way 
of  satisfying  his  doubt  than  by  going  himself  to  the 
remotest  headwaters  of  the  mighty  stream.  He  there- 
fore went  there,  for  with  him  to  think  is  to  determine, 
to  determine  is  to  act.  Friends  tried  to  persuade  him 
he  was  engaging  in  a  useless  and  extravagant  expedi- 
tion, and  those  to  whom  he  applied  for  information 
respecting  the  country  through  which  he  must  pass 
warned  him  that  he  would  have  to  undergo  many 
hardships;  but  to  all  this  advice  he  turned  a  deaf  ear. 
His  active,  energetic,  and  enterprising  temperament 
was  proof  against  all  fear  of  discomfort,  and  his  desire 
to  know  the  truth  overruled  every  other  feeling.  And, 
when  at  last  he  stood  by  the  beautiful  lake,  the  goal  of 
his  search,  all  the  trials  and  annoyances  of  his  arduous 
voyage  sank  into  insignificance — lost  in  the  depths  of 
his  content. 

His  companions  gazed  with  delight  upon  the  peace- 
ful scene  which  lay  before  them ;  and,  as  they  noted 
the  peculiar  outline  of  the  lake,  what  wonder  that  the 
thought  came — this  was  indeed  the  heart  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, pulsating  with  life  for  the  great  stream  flowing 
onward  and  ever  onward,  enriching  and  ennobling  the 
land,  until  at  last  it  loses  itself,  by  reason  of  its  own 
vastness,  in  the  waters  of  the  Gulf. 


472  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

They  rejoiced,  too,  that  the  first  white  man  to  stand 
at  the  fountain-head  of  America's  greatest  river  was 
an  American — an  American  who  had  fought  bravely 
and  suffered  many  privations  for  his  country.  And 
as  they  watched  the  eagle,  whirling  in  his  flight  over 
their  heads,  they  felt  glad  that  he  had  chosen  this  spot 
for  his  home,  in  which  to  rear  his  young  in  the  same 
proud,  free  spirit  which  made  him  so  fit  an  emblem 
for  their  glorious  land. 

Much  astonishment  was  expressed  by  those  of  the 
party  who  were  aware  of  Schooloraft's  expedition  in 
1832,  that  he  should  have  missed  finding  this  lake  so 
closely  connected  with  Itasca,  and  various  were  the 
surmises  as  to  the  cause  of  this  remarkable  oversight. 
One  plausible  suggestion  was,  that  the  rushes  and  reeds 
had  so  obstructed  the  entrance  of  the  stream  into  Itasca, 
that  not  having  a  previous  knowledge  of  its  where- 
abouts, there  was  nothing  surprising  in  its  being  over- 
looked. By  far  the  most  probable  theory,  however, 
was  advanced  by  Captain  Glazier,  who  stated,  quoting 
Schoolcraft  himself  as  authority,  that  when  he  reached 
Itasca  he  was  too  much  hurried  to  make  a  thorough 
exploration.  He  had  made  an  engagement  to  meet 
some  Indians  in  council  at  the  mouth  of  the  Crow- 
Wing  River,  fully  seven  days' journey  from  this  point, 
and  he  did  not  have  more  than  the  seven  days  to  do  it 
in.  Accordingly,  as  his  mind  had  been  prepared  by 
his  guides  all  along  to  accept  Itasca  as  the  true  source, 
he  only  stopped  long  enough  to  see  and  hurriedly  coast 
the  lake,  and  then  returned  to  the  Indian  council  on 
Crow-Wing  River.  This  is  Schoolcraft's  own  state- 
ment, and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  is  the  true  rea- 
son for  his  failure  to  locate  the  source  correctly.  He 


SOURCE  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI.  473 

never  saw  the  beautiful  lake  to  the  south  of  Itasca,  fed 
by  the  springs  and  streams  of  the  marshes  which  gave 
birth  to  the  Infant  Mississippi. 

Therefore,  he  could  not  know  that  Itasca  was  but  an 
expansion  of  the  stream,  like  other  lakes  in  its  onward 
course,  a  sudden  growth,  as  it  were,  which  gave  prom- 
ise of  the  vast  proportions  the  mighty  giant  would 
hereafter  assume.  There  would  be  something  almost 
sad  in  his  coming  so  near  and  yet  missing  the  mark  at 
which  he  had  aimed,  if  it  were  not  that  he  lived  and 
died  in  the  belief  that  he  was  right  in  his  assertion 
that  the  great  Father  of  Waters  rose  in  the  lake 
which  he,  oddly  enough,  named  Itasca.  Oddly,  be- 
cause Itasca  is  a  name  given  by  the  Indians  to  the 
mysteries  of  their  religion  and  necromantic  arts,  and 
Schoolcraft,  by  his  decided  statements  in  regard  to  the 
lake,  succeeded  in  enveloping  in  mystery  the  true  source 
for  another  fifty  years.  Why  it  should  ever  have  been 
a  mystery  is  a  question  often  raised  ;  but  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  it  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  no  fur  traders 
and  but  few  Indians  ever  penetrate  the  boggy,  swampy, 
lake-covered  regions  of  Northern  Minnesota. 

Our  explorers,  having  finished  their  survey  of  the 
lake,  now  disembarked  and  prepared  to  hold  suitable 
impromptu  ceremonies  to  celebrate  their  momentous 
discovery.  First  they  drank  of  the  clear,  cool  water 
to  the  health  of  Captain  Glazier,  who  had  led  them  on 
to  making  this  grand  achievement.  The  Captain  then 
thanked  them  in  a  few  eloquent  and  appropriate  re- 
marks for  their  good  wishes  and  also  for  their  faith  in 
him,  and  the  determination  they  had  shown  to  stand 
by  him  until  he  had  reached  the  goal  he  sought.  He 
spoke,  too,  of  the  magnitude  and  importance  of  their 
35 


474  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

discovery,  of  the  knowledge  it  would  add  to  the  geo- 
graphical lore  of  the  country,  and  of  the  strangeness  of 
the  fact  that  the  source  of  their  mightiest  river  had  so 
long  been  a  disputed  question.  The  cause  of  this  he 
attributed  to  the  peculiarities  of  the  region  in  which  it 
rose,  the  many  lakes  and  swamps  making  much  trav- 
eling impracticable;  and  recalling  the  hardships  which 
they  themselves  had  encountered,  expressed  his  belief 
that  it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  earlier  explorers 
had  been  deterred  from  making  the  venture  at  a  time 
when  civilization  was  even  further  remote  than  it  was 
at  present.  He  then  recounted  some  of  the  exploits 
of  the  heroic  old  explorers,  and,  reminding  his  com- 
panions that  three  hundred  years  had  passed  away 
since  white  men  first  beheld  tiie  mighty  stream  by 
whose  cradle  they  were  now  standing,  he  congratulated 
them  on  completing  the  work  begun  by  De  Soto,  Mar- 
quette,  La  Salle,  Hennepin  and  Joliet. 

Mr.  Paine  then  proposed  that  the  new-found  body 
of  water  should  be  named  Lake  Glazier.  This  pro- 
posal was  acceded  to  by  acclamation,  after  which,  to 
the  surprise  of  all,  Chenowagesic  stepped  to  the  front 
and  signified  his  intentions  by  assuming  an  oratorical 
attitude.  He  then  addressed  the  Captain  as  follows: 

"My  brother,  I  have  come  with  you  through  many 
lakes  and  rivers  to  the  head  of  the  Father  of 
Waters.  The  shores  of  this  lake  are  my  hunting- 
ground.  Here  I  have  had  my  wigwam  and  planted 
corn  for  many  years.  When  I  again  roam  through 
these  forests  and  look  on  this  lake,  source  of  the 
Great  River.,  J  wjll  look  on  you." 

When  he  had  finished  Captain  Glazier,  true  to  his 
soldierly  instincts,  proppsed  firing  six  volleys  over 


SOURCE  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI.  475 

the  lake,  one  in  honor  of  each  member  of  the  party. 
This  was  accordingly  done,  and  Mr.  Paine  closed  the 
ceremonies  by  leading  off  with  three  hearty  American 
cheers  for  "  the  discoverer  and  the  discovery."  The 
Indians  chimed  in  with  a  Chippewa  yell,  and  then, 
while  the  air  was  still  reverberating  with  the  sound  of 
their  voices,  they  all  paused  to  take  in  once  more  the 
scene  of  their  explorations. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

DOWN  THE   GREAT   RIVER. 

Voyage  from  Source  to  Sea. — Three  thousand  miles  in  an  open 
canoe. — "  Pioneers  of  the  Mississippi." — A  thrilling  lecture. — The 
long  voyage  begun. — Mosquitoes. — Hunger  and  exhaustion. — 
The  Captain  kills  an  otter. — Lakes  Bemidji  and  Winnibegoshish. 
— An  Indian  missionary. — Wind-bound. — Chenowagesic  bids 
farewell  to  the  Captain. — Pokegama  Falls. — Grand  Rapids. — 
Meeting  the  first  steamboat. — Aitkin. — Great  enthusiasm. — The 
new  canoes. — Leaving  Aitkin. — Arrival  at  Little  Falls. — Escorted 
in  triumph  to  the  town. — "  Captain  Glazier !  A  speech !  A 
speech!" — Lake  Pepin. — An  appalling  storm. — St.  Louis. — 
Southern  hospitality. — New  Orleans. — Arrival  at  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico. — End  of  voyage. 

HAVING  decided  to  his  entire  satisfaction  that 
the  newly  discovered  lake  was  the  true  source 
of  the  Great  River,  Captain  Glazier  was  ready  to 
begin  his  descent  of  the  stream,  for,  as  yet,  but  a  small 
portion  of  his  tremendous  undertaking  had  been  ac- 
complished. True,  he  had  done  what  had  never  been 
done  before — he  had  penetrated  into  the  innermost 
recesses  of  the  mystery  which  had  so  long  enshrouded 
the  head-waters  of  the  Mississippi,  and  traversed  a 
part  of  the  country  where  white  man  had  never  trod 
before;  he  had  added  greatly  to  the  geographical 
knowledge  of  his  country's  mightiest  river,  and  satis- 
fied the  spirit  of  investigation  which  had  impelled  him 
to  begin  this  daring  adventure;  but  the  by  no  means 
least  novel,  and  at  the  same  time,  practical  part  of  his 
voyage  still  lay  before  him.  De  Soto,  Marquette,  La 
(476) 


DOWN  THE  GREAT  RIVKR.  477 

Salle,  Hennepin,  Joliet  and  Sehoolcraft,  all  had  navi- 
gated but  portions  of  the  great  flood  of  water  to  which 
they  owe  their  renown ;  he  would  descend  its  entire 
course  from  its  source  in  the  wilds  of  Minnesota  to  its 
outlet  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  He  would  become 
familiar  with  the  most  striking  features  of  the  country 
on  either  side,  and  study  through  personal  intercourse 
the  varying  phases  of  American  character  and  life,  as 
he  passed  from  the  fur-bearing,  lumber-dealing  States 
of  the  North,  by  the  vast  wheat  fields  of  the  West,  and 
finally  reach  the  cotton  and  sugar  plantations  of  the 
South.  No  one  had  ever  attempted  this  before,  and  it 
is  probable  no  one  will  ever  attempt  it  again,  for  the 
perils  of  a  voyage  of  three  thousand  miles  in  an  open 
canoe  are  not  purely  imaginary.  And  yet  this  was  the 
only  way  in  which  he  could  satisfactorily  and  prac- 
tically accomplish  his  object  of  making  careful  and 
minute  observations  along  the  route.  Then,  too,  being 
himself  so  much  interested  in  all  that  concerned  the 
great  "  Father  of  Waters,"  he  wished  to  awaken  in 
others  a  like  interest,  and  to  effect  this  prepared  a 
lecture  on  the  "  Pioneers  of  the  Mississippi,"  which  he 
intended  to  deliver  at  every  town  of  importance  on 
either  bank  as  he  floated  down  the  stream.  "  Pay 
tribute  to  those  to  whom  tribute  is  due"  is  his  motto, 
and  so  the  tragic  fate  of  De  Soto,  the  sad  but  poetic 
death  of  Marquette,  and  the  triumphant  banner  of 
La  Salle,  called  forth  from  his  ready  pen  a  lecture  re- 
plete with  historical  interest. 

Standing,  then,  by  the  source  of  the  mighty  river, 
around  which  so  many  beautiful  Indian  legends  cluster, 
and  about  which  the  white  man  has  ever  been  curious, 
the  Captain  felt  a  natural  throb  of  pride  that  so  much 


478  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

of  his  great  undertaking  had  been  successfully  achieved, 
and  a  hope  that  the  future  held  further  good  in  store 
for  him. 

Giving  the  order  for  embarkation  the  canoes  were 
soon  gliding  across  the  water  bound  for  Lake  Itasca. 
Entering  this  lake,  a  short  stop  was  made  at  School- 
craft's  Island  in  order  to  obtain  the  remainder  of  their 
luggage;  after  which  they  re-embarked,  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  and  continued  the  descent  of  the 
river. 

From  Lake  Itasca  the  Mississippi  flows  almost  di- 
rectly north,  then  takes  a  turn  to  the  east,  and  finally 
sweeps  with  ever  increasing  volume  south  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  At  first  it  quietly  pursues  its  course  between 
rich  meadows,  and  promises  easy  and  safe  navigation, 
so  that  our  little  band  of  explorers  after  leaving  Itasca 
expected  to  have  a  quiet  and  uneventful  voyage  until 
they  reached  the  inhabited  part  of  the  country.  Such 
was  not  the  case,  however,  for  they  soon  found  their  pro- 
gress very  much  impeded  by  drift-wood,  snags,  rapids, 
and  boulders  of  every  size  and  description.  They  over- 
came these  obstacles  in  various  ways,  all  requiring 
much  exertion  and  endurance,  and  many  a  time  their 
patience  was  nearly  exhausted.  Sometimes  they  forced 
the  canoes  under  the  logs  which  lay  across  the  stream, 
and  again  cut  a  passage-way  through  them.  Now  they 
removed  the  drift  from  their  path  and  now  were 
obliged  to  lift  the  canoes  over  it.  A  little  further  on 
a  huge  boulder  would  confront  them,  making  it  neces- 
sary to  disembark  and  carry  the  boats  around.  Pres- 
ently a  dangerous  rapid  would  be  met,  and  in  shooting 
it  some  member  of  the  party  would  be  precipitated 
into  the  water,  or  perhaps  a  hole  stove  in  one  of  the 


DOWN  THE  GREAT  RIVER.  479 

canoes.  At  last  they  were  obliged  to  make  a  portage 
of  about  half  a  mile,  and  upon  launching  again,  soon 
discovered  that  the  principal  obstructions  had  been 
overcome.  This  was  a  great  relief  to  them,  for  the  in- 
tolerable annoyance  of  swarms  of  mosquitoes  which 
came  in  clouds  about  them,  biting  even  through  their 
clothing,  was  quite  enough  to  bear  patiently  without 
having  the  hardships  consequent  upon  such  rugged 
voyaging  to  endure. 

Laborious,  however,  as  they  found  this  unusually 
rough  canoeing,  and  troublesome  as  were  the  mosqui- 
toes, both  trials  sank  into  insignificance  when  com- 
pared with  their  ever  present  danger  of  starvation. 
It  will  be  remembered  how  bravely  all  had  decided, 
when  they  first  made  the  startling  discovery  that  their 
supplies  were  at  a  low  ebb,  to  pursue  their  investigations 
even  at  the  risk  of  running  completely  out  of  rations. 
The  strictest  economy  had  been  observed  ever  since, 
but  despite  all  their  care  they  now  found  that  unless 
they  could  reach  a  trading-post  within  a  couple  of  days 
they  would  be  compelled  to  subsist  on  such  game  and 
fish  as  they  could  cage;  rather  a  precarious  means  of 
existence  to  say  the  least,  especially  as  they  had  but  a 
very  few  rounds  of  ammunition  left.  It  was  unani- 
mously voted  that  Captain  Glazier,  who  was  by  far  the 
best  marksman  of  the  party,  should  occupy  the  bow 
of  the  first  canoe,  and  gun  in  hand  be  ready  to  fire  at 
any  game  which  he  had  a  reasonable  chance  of  hitting. 
One  day  while  he  was  thus  keeping  a  sharp  lookout 
for  anything  which  gave  promise  of  a  meal,  Cheno- 
wagesic  pointed  excitedly  to  a  small,  black  spot  just 
showing  above  the  water,  and  told  the  Captain  it  was 
an  otter.  The  Captain  fired,  and  to  the  gratification  of 


480  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

all,  the  animal  turned  over  on  its  back  dead.  That 
day  they  were  unable  to  bag  anything  else,  and  when 
they  encamped  for  the  night  the  Indians  prepared  the 
otter  for  supper.  At  first  the  white  members  of  the 
party  refused  to  share  the  meal,  but  hunger  was  too 
much  for  them,  and  so,  conquering  their  prejudices,  they 
satisfied  their  appetites  with  the  meat,  which  probably 
resembles  cat  meat  more  nearly  than  any  other  kind. 
The  next  day  the  Indians  managed  to  kill  several 
ducks  by  driving  them  under  the  water  and  then 
spearing  them  with  their  paddles;  and  the  Captain's 
brother,  having  improvised  a  very  ingenious  trolling 
hook,  succeeded  in  catching  two  fish.  The  main  part 
of  their  diet,  however,  for  four  long  days  consisted 
simply  of  blue  berries,  and  the  Captain  became  so 
weak  from  hunger  and  exhaustion  that  he  was  barely 
able  to  sit  upright.  At  last  they  met  an  Indian,  a  few 
miles  from  Lake  Bemidji,  who  supplied  them  with 
dried  fish  and  other  provisions,  and  that  night  they 
encamped  on  the  shores  of  the  lake. 

The  next  day  they  pursued  their  voyage  under  more 
favorable  circumstances,  the  larder  being  tolerably  well 
supplied,  the  river  free  from  obstructions,  and  flowing 
between  beautiful  groves  and  rich  meadows.  Late  in 
the  afternoon  they  reached  Cass  Lake,  where  they 
pitched  their  tents  for  the  night,  and  the  following  day 
found  them  at  Lake  Winnibegoshish,  the  largest  ex- 
pansion of  the  Mississippi. 

Their  arrival  at  this  lake  was  at  a  time  when  a 
Btrong  south  wind  blew  the  waters  into  white-capped 
waves,  which  ran  very  high,  and  the  canoes  were  nearly 
swamped  before  they  could  be  forced  into  the  little 
bay  upon  the  shores  of  which  the  Indian  village  stands. 


DOWN  THE  GREAT  RIVER.  481 

This  village  consists  of  about  a  dozen  wigwams  and 
log-houses,  and  presents  nothing  more  inviting  than  a 
fine  view  of  this  beautiful  lake.  An  Indian  missionary 
named  Kit-chi-no-din  is  stationed  here,  and  treated  the 
party  with  marked  courtesy  and  hospitality,  although 
he  could  speak  but  very  little  English.  During  the 
two  days  in  which  they  were  wind-bound  and  obliged 
to  remain  inactive,  the  Captain  took  several  meals  with 
him,  and  once  attended  service  in  the  little  log-church 
of  which  he  had  been  installed  rector  by  Bishop 
Whipple. 

During  their  enforced  stay  at  Lake  Winnibegoshish, 
Chenowagesic  bade  farewell  to  Captain  Glazier  and 
returned  to  his  home  at  Leech  Lake.  Every  effort  was 
made  by  the  Captain,  who  had  found  him  invaluable 
as  a  guide,  to  persuade  him  to  continue  the  voyage  with 
them;  but  his  mind  was  so  filled  with  the  legends  he 
had  heard  of  the  Lower  Mississippi  that  no  induce- 
ment could  prevail  with  him.  The  Indians  of  these 
northern  regions  very  commonly  believe  that  the  eddies 
and  whirlpools  found  in  the  river  further  down  its 
course  are  mysterious  monsters,  and  that  the  surround- 
ing country  is  full  of  strange  animals  and  fearful 
sights. 

On  the  third  day  of  their  stay  at  the  village,  the 
wind  moderated  somewhat  and  they  made  an  attempt 
to  coast  along  part  of  the  lake,  hoping  to  reach  the 
outlet  in  that  way.  But  after  struggling  with  the 
waves  all  the  morning  they  came  to  a  small  inlet,  and 
were  forced  by  the  again  increasing  wind  to  seek  shel- 
ter in  it. 

The  next  morning  another  start  was  made,  and,  after 
some  very  rough  paddling,  the  party  at  length  arrived 


482  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

at  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  and  from  thence  pursued  the 
even  tenor  of  their  way  without  any  further  interrup- 
tion until  they  reached  Pokegama  Falls,  two  miles  and 
a  half  above  Grand  Rapids.  Here  they  found  a  num- 
ber of  white  men,  the  first  they  had  seen  since  leaving 
Leech  Lake,  encamped  and  engaged  in  building  a 
small  steamboat  to  run  up  to  Lake  Winnibegoshish. 
After  a  portage  around  the  Falls  they  entered  Grand 
Rapids,  where  they  were  rejoiced  to  find  a  post-office, 
a  hotel  called  the  Potter  House,  and  a  few  other  evi- 
dences of  civilization,  such  as  a  comfortable  bed,  the 
first  they  had  slept  in  for  many  days. 

After  leaving  Grand  Rapids  nothing  of  any  impor- 
tance occurred  until  Aitkin  was  reached,  four  days 
later,  unless  we  except  meeting  the  first  steamboat  they 
had  seen  on  the  river.  This  was  quite  an  exciting 
event,  for  the  passengers  on  the  boat  knowing  from  the 
papers  that  Captain  Glazier's  party  were  onr  their  way 
to  Aitkin,  recognized  them,  and  testified  their  pleasure 
in  the  meeting  by  hurrahing,  waving  their  handker- 
chiefs and  hats,  and  calling  after  the  explorers  kind 
wishes  for  their  safety  and  success. 

At  Aitkin,  the  most  northern  town  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, a  brief  rest  was  taken  before  the  Captain  em- 
barked on  the  second  stage  of  his  seaward  voyage.  He 
had  now  entered  the  bounds  of  civilization,  and  from 
this  point  the  principal  incidents  of  his  expedition  were 
such  as  would  naturally  occur  in  a  country  where  the 
people  delight  to  honor  enterprise,  courage,  and  ambi- 
tion. All  along  the  route  the  greatest  enthusiasm 
was  evinced.  When  it  was  announced  through  the 
medium  of  the  press  at  what  time  he  would  reach  a 
given  point,  the  inhabitants  flocked  to  the  landing 


DOWN  THE  GREAT  RIVER.  483 

place  to  do  him  honor;  and  many,  more  impatient  than 
the  rest,  would  put  out  in  canoes  and  skiffs  to  meet 
him  on  the  way.  Upon  disembarking  he  would  be 
escorted  to  his  hotel,  usually  preceded  by  a  band 
playing  "  Hail  to  the  Chief"  or  other  appropriate  airs, 
and  wherever  he  delivered  his  lecture  large  audiences 
greeted  him,  curious  to  see  and  hear  the  man  who  had 
at  last  discovered  the  source  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
who  had  come  so  far  on  its  mighty  waters  in  a  frail 
canoe.  Everywhere  he  charmed  all  who  met  him  by 
the  courtesy  of  his  manners,  the  eloquence  and  interest 
of  his  conversation,  and  the  modesty  with  which  he 
spoke  of  his  great  undertaking.  Some,  indeed,  were 
disappointed  by  his  lecture,  having  hoped  to  hear  an 
account  of  his  discoveries.  But  while  Captain  Glazier 
might  with  perfect  propriety  have  spoken  of  his  own 
exploits  after  recounting  in  glowing  terms  those  of 
the  old  explorers,  he  is  too  thoroughly  great  in  spirit  to 
say  aught  which  might  in  the  least  seem  to  detract 
from  the  achievements  of  his  heroic  predecessors. 
Therefore,  as  his  subject  was  the  "  Pioneers  of  the 
Mississippi,"  he  spoke  only  of  their  exploits,  giving 
them  in  eloquent  words  their  just  tribute  of  praise, 
and  leaving  it  to  others  to  say  that  what  they  had 
only  begun  he  had  triumphantly  finished. 

Upon  leaving  Aitkin  on  the  fifteenth  of  August  the 
birch  bark  canoes,  with  the  exception  of  the  one  used 
by  the  Captain  himself,  were  abandoned,  their  places 
being  taken  by  a  Rilshton  canoe,  named  "Alice,"  after 
his  daughter,  and  a  Racine  canoe  of  the  Rob 
Roy  pattern.  Their  departure  from  this  thriving 
little  city  was  the  signal  for  an  enthusiastic  demonstra- 
tion on  the  part  of  its  inhabitants,  who  congregated  on 


484  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

the  shore  to  see  them  off.  Captain  Glazier  acknowl- 
edged the  compliment  in  a  short  speech,  and  then, 
stepping  into  his  canoe,  the  little  flotilla  paddled  away 
amidst  the  cheers  of  the  multitude. 

From  this  point  the  descent  of  the  river  was  com- 
paratively easy.  Except  when  rainy  weather  or  violent 
winds  prevailed,  the  voyagers  found  much  to  enjoy  in 
the  novel  life  they  were  leading,  the  varying  scenery 
they  met,  and  the  altogether  different  phase  which  the 
Mississippi,  the  great  highway  of  internal  commerce  in 
North  America,  presented  to  them. 

At  Brainerd  the  Captain  delivered  his  lecture  for 
the  first  time,  to  a  crowded  and  appreciative  audience. 
From  Brainerd  the  party  dropped  down  the  river  to 
the  antiquated  town  of  Crow-Wing,  opposite  the  mouth 
of  the  Crow-Wing  River.  Remaining  here  over  night 
they  re-embarked  next  morning,  and  gliding  down  the 
stream  arrived  at  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
at  a  point  just  above  Little  Falls.  Here  they  were 
met  by  a  number  of  row-boats  and  escorted  to  the  town. 
As  the  little  fleet  approached  the  land  the  shores  were 
seen  to  be  crowded  with  people,  and  the  band  struck 
up,  rendering  "A  Life  on  the  Ocean  Wave,"  "See  the 
Conquering  Hero  comes,"  and  other  appropriate  airs. 
As  soon  as  a  landing  was  effected,  cries  of  "Captain 
Glazier!  Captain  Glazier!  a  speech  !  a  speech  !"  went 
up,  and  in  response  to  the  demand  the  Captain  made 
a  few  remarks.  First,  thanking  them  for  the  kind  in- 
terest manifested  in  his  voyage,  he  continued  :  "  I  find  a 
great  deal  of  speculation  as  I  go  down  the  river  in  regard 
to  the  objects  of  this  expedition,  and  it  may  be  well  to 
state  what  they  really  are.  My  desire  is  to  study  thor- 
oughly the  people,  industries,  and  general  features  of  the 


DOWX  THE  GREAT  RIVER.  485 

grandest  valley  in  the  world — a  valley  which  extends 
from  the  great  watershed  almost  on  the  northern  boun- 
dary of  the  United  States  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  a  dis- 
tance of  three  thousand  miles,  and  where  the  occupa- 
tions of  the  people  change  from  the  lumbering  and 
fur-hunting  of  the  north  to  the  cotton  and  sugar-raising 
of  the  south.  To  do  this  carefully  and  at  leisure  I 
take  a  method  of  traveling  by  which  I  can  devote  as 
much  time  as  is  necessary  to  every  section  of  the  river, 
and  by  which  I  can  observe  from  a  standpoint  not 
reached  by  the  ordinary  traveler.  This,  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  is  why  you  see  me  to-day  descending  the 
Mississippi  in  a  canoe." 

The  Captain  was  then  escorted  to  his  hotel  by  the 
band,  and  in  the  evening  delivered  his  lecture  at  Vasaly 
Hall,  continuing  his  voyage  the  following  day.  Be- 
tween this  point  and  Minneapolis  numerous  and  danger- 
ous rapids  were  met,  all  of  which  were  shot  in  safety, 
and  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  were  reached  without  ac- 
cident. Below  these  Falls  the  scenery  was  very  beau- 
tiful, although  the  immense  number  of  rain  storms 
interfered  sadly  with  the  pleasure  of  sight-seeing. 

When  the  party  arrived  at  Lake  Pepin,  a  beautiful 
body  of  water,  thirty  miles  in  length  and  three  in 
breadth,  and  surrounded  by  majestic  bluffs,  they  found 
navigation  almost  impossible.  The  winds  sweeping 
down  between  the  bluffs  caused  the  waves  to  rise  so 
high  that  even  the  river  steamers  had  been  compelled 
to  tie  up  and  wait  for  the  storm  to  subside.  The  Cap- 
tain, however,  had  an  engagement  to  lecture  at  Lake 
City,  halfway  down  the  lake,  and  as  he  had  never  yet 
failed  to  appear  at  the  appointed  time  he  now  insisted 
upon  attempting  to  reach  his  destination.  The  river 
36 


486  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

men  in  vain  endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  his 
purpose.  It  took  all  day  to  make  a  pull  of  sixteen 
miles,  and  many  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  frail  canoes 
would  certainly  be  swamped;  but  nevertheless  they  ar- 
rived at  Lake  City  in  time  for  the  lecture.  And  it 
may  be  mentioned  here  that  in  this  voyage,  as  in  his 
journey  from  ocean  to  ocean,  he  never  failed  to 
keep  an  engagement  to  lecture.  No  matter  what  the 
stress  of  weather  or  unforeseen  accident  which  would 
have  delayed  most  men,  he  surmounted  every  obstacle 
and  invariably  appeared  on  the  platform  at  the  ap- 
pointed hour. 

Bad  weather,  violent  squalls,  and  dangerous  rapids 
were  of  frequent  occurrence,  but  nothing  succeeded  in 
crippling  the  energy  which  Captain  Glazier  had  all 
along  exhibited.  His  mind  was  bent  upon  reaching  the 
Gulf  in  his  canoe,  and  he  pursued  his  course  unmindful 
of  the  dangers  which  he  almost  daily  encountered.  At 
La  Crosse  the  expedition  was  reduced  in  number  to  the 
Captain  and  Mr.  Paine,  who,  for  the  remainder  of  the 
voyage,  used  the  "Alice." 

St.  Louis  was  reached  on  the  eighth  of  October,  and 
the  voyagers  were  heartily  welcomed  by  the  various 
boat-clubs  of  the  city  and  by  many  influential  citizens. 
On  October  the  tenth,  they  re-embarked  and  continued 
their  voyage  towards  the  Gulf. 

From  here  Cairo,  Memphis,  Yicksburg,  Natchez, 
and  Baton  Eouge  were  the  chief  halting-places,  al- 
though many  a  time  night  overtook  them  before  they 
could  reach  a  town  or  city,  and  then  they  would  be 
entertained  at  some  plantation  near  the  shore  with  true 
southern  hospitality.  Everywhere  they  were  received 
with  the  utmost  cordiality.  The  various  cities  along 


DOWN  THE  GREAT  RIVER.  487 

the  banks  of  the  river  seemed  to  vie  with  each  other 
in  doing  honor  to  Captain  Glazier;  the  press  spoke  in 
the  highest  terms  of  his  expedition  and  of  his  great 
success,  and  every  opportunity  was  afforded  him  to 
make  the  most  minute  observations  respecting  the  cus- 
toms, manner  of  life,  business  enterprise,  and  political 
condition  of  the  people  of  the  different  States.  These 
observations  he  means  to  embody  in  a  work  to  be  en- 
titled "Down  the  Great  River" — a  work  which,  in 
the  light  of  the  Captain's  well-known  ability  as  a 
writer,  cannot  fail  to  be  both  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive. 

New  Orleans  was  reached  at  last,  but  as  the  Captain 
intended  to  return  there  after  visiting  Port  Eads,  no 
stop  was  made,  and  the  "Alice"  paddled  by  the  Cres- 
cent City,  arriving  at  the  Jetties  on  the  fifteenth  of 
November,  one  hundred  and  seventeen  days  after  be- 
ginning the  descent  of  the  river  from  its  new  found 
source,  Lake  Glazier. 

Many  citizens  of  Port  Eads  had  assembled  in  small 
boats  at  the  entrance  to  the  Gulf  to  see  the  "Alice" 
and  her  gallant  crew  in  the  act  of  completing  their 
long  voyage.  Cheer  upon  cheer  rent  the  air  as  the 
beautiful  little  canoe,  bearing  aloft  at  the  bow  a  pen- 
nant with  the  inscription  "Alice,"  and  at  the  stern  the 
glorious  "Stars  and  Stripes,"  paddled  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river  out  into  the  wide  expanse  of  the  Gulf.  Fire- 
arms were  discharged,  flags  enthusiastically  waved,  and 
every  possible  demonstration  made  which  could  give 
vent  to  the  excitement  of  the  occasion. 

Reaching  the  beacon,  the  Captain  and  Mr.  Paine 
disembarked,  and,  clambering  up  upon  the  wall,  gazed 
out  on  the  salt  waters  of  the  Gulf,  hardly  able  to  realize 


488  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

that  this  was  actually  the  goal  towards  which  they  had 
been  slowly  paddling  for  almost  four  months. 

Thus  ended  the  longest  canoe  voyage  on  record.  De 
Soto,  Marquette,  La  Salle,  Hennepin,  Joliet,  and 
Schoolcraft,  had  all  navigated  sections  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, but  Captain  Glazier  was  the  first  to  traverse  its 
entire  course,  from  the  remotest  head  waters  to  the 
outlet,  a  distance  of  three  thousand  one  hundred  and 
eighty-four  miles.  This,  too,  he  had  done  in  a  frail 
canoe,  amidst  heavy  rains  and  violent  winds,  in  heat 
and  cold,  in  sunshine  and  in  storm,  steadily  pursuing 
his  course,  unfaltering  in  his  purpose,  deterred  by  no 
danger,  determined  only  on  success.  In  the  wilds  of 
Minnesota  he  stood  by  the  beautiful  little  lake  whose 
placid  bosom  first  nourishes  the  infant  stream.  Pad- 
dling onward  with  the  current,  ever  increasing  in 
strength  and  volume,  he  passed  from  the  dense  forests 
of  the  North  where  nature  holds  undisputed  sway,  into 
the  realms  of  a  civilization  growing  daily  greater  and 
greater.  Finally  he  reached  the  broad  Gulf,  in  which 
the  "  Father  of  Waters,"  now  strong  in  the  strength 
of  maturity,  and  vast  in  his  proportions,  pours  his 
mighty  flood.  Every  variety  of  climate,  soil  and 
production  came  under  his  observation,  and  all  the 
striking  peculiarities  of  the  Northern,  Western  and 
Southern  character.  No  other  man  had  ever  accom- 
plished this,  and  therefore  it  is  not  difficult  to  imagine 
that  Captain  Glazier's  emotions,  when  he  first  saw  the 
salt  spray  of  the  Gulf  dash  high  over  the  seaward  wall 
of  the  Jetties,  were  of  an  elevated  order,  and  lifted 
him  for  the  time  above  the  plane  of  every-day  life. 
His  long  voyage  was  completed,  the  objective  at  which 
he  had  aimed  was  reached,  and  his  plans  had  all  been 


DOWN  THE  GREAT  RIVER.  489 

attended  with  success.  Of  little  consequence  now 
were  the  dangers  he  had  encountered,  the  annoyances 
which  had  beset  him,  the  difficulties  he  had  sur- 
mounted. He  was  proud  of  the  fact  that  he  was  the 
first  to  stand  at  the  fountain-head  of  his  country's 
grandest  river,  and  was  the  first  to  traverse  its  entire 
course  despite  the  turbulent  waters  and  dangerous  whirl- 
pools which  threatened  often  to  engulf  him,  and  now  at  its 
outlet  could  write  "  finis  "  to  the  great  work  of  his  life. 
Few  men  in  the  world  can  say  as  much — for  the  energy, 
perseverance,  unfaltering  will  and  indomitable  courage 
which  characterize  Captain  Glazier  are  of  rare  occur- 
rence, and  entitle  him  to  a  foremost  position  in  the 
ranks  of  America's  distinguished  sons. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

RECEPTION     BY    THE    NEW    ORLEANS    ACADEMY     OF 
SCIENCES. 

Captain  Glazier  returns  to  New  Orleans. — A  general  ovation. — Flat- 
tering opinions  of  the  press. — Introduction  to  the  Mayor. — Free- 
dom of  the  City  tendered. — Special  meeting  of  the  New  Or- 
leans Academy  of  Sciences. — Presentation  of  the  "Alice"  to 
the  Academy. — Captain  Glazier's  address. — The  President's  Re- 
sponse.— Resolutions  of  thanks  and  appreciation  passed. — Visit 
to  the  Arsenal  of  the  Washington  Artillery. — Welcome  by  the 
Old  Guard  of  the  Louisiana  Tigers. — Pleasant  memories  of  the 
''  Crescent  City." 

AFTER  standing  for  some  time  looking  out  upon 
the  vast  expanse  of  water  which  lay  before  him, 
Captain  Glazier  hailed  a  passing  boat  and,  towing  the 
"Alice"  after  them,  he  and  Mr.  Paine  were  rowed  back 
to  Port  Eads.  Here  they  were  very  hospitably  enter- 
tained until  the  arrival  of  the  inward-bound  steamship 
"Margaret,"  which  they  boarded  and  on  which  they 
returned  to  New  Orleans.  There  they  met  with  the 
most  cordial  reception;  people  everywhere  were  curious 
to  see  Captain  Glazier,  and  anxious  to  show  him  their 
appreciation  of  his  enterprising  spirit  and  the  success 
which  had  attended  his  last  remarkable  exploit.  The 
press,  not  only  of  New  Orleans  but  all  through  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  gave  glowing  accounts  of  his 
voyage  and  of  the  ovation  which  he  received  at  its 
conclusion.  The  Mayor  tendered  him  the  freedom  of 
the  city,  and  the  New  Orleans  Academy  of  Sciences 
(490) 


NEW  ORLEANS  ACADEMY  OF  SCIENCES.    491 

gave  him  a  public  reception,  at  which  resolutions  were 
passed  recognizing  the  great  results  of  his  expedition, 
and  thanking  him  for  the  beautiful  canoe  "Alice," 
which  he  had  presented  to  that  learned  body. 

The  following  account  of  this  reception  is  taken  from 
the  "St.  Louis  Republican"  of  November  twenty- 
eighth,  and  is  presented  to  the  reader  because,  being 
the  testimony  of  an  eye-witness,  it  cannot  fail  to  give 
a  clear  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  the  scientists  of 
the  city,  and  the  people  generally,  appreciated  Captain 
Glazier  and  the  work  which  he  had  accomplished. 

[Correspondence  of  the  Republican.] 

"NEW  ORLEANS,  November  23,  1881. 
"The  termination  of  the  noted  and  unprecedented 
exploring  expedition  and  canoe  trip  of  the  Soldier- 
Author,  Captain  Willard  Glazier,  extending  from  his 
new-found  true  source  of  the  mighty  Mississippi 
River  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  culminated,  after  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  days'  voyage,  in  a  very  general 
and  complimentary  recognition  and  ovation  on  the 
part  of  the  officials  and  distinguished  citizens  of  New 
Orleans.  In  company  with  Dr.  J.  S.  Copes,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  the  successful  ex- 
plorer was  presented  to  his  honor,  Mayor  Shakes- 
pear,  and  was  by  him  warmly  welcomed,  and  the  free- 
dom of  the  city  generously  tendered  him.  In  apprecia- 
tive recognition  of  the  hospitality  extended  him  the 
distinguished  soldier,  author,  and  explorer,  felt  it  a 
pleasing  as  well  as  an  appropriate  opportunity  to  pre- 
sent his  beautiful  canoe,  which  had  safely  carried  him 
through  his  long  and  perilous  voyage,  to  the  New 
Orleans  Academy  of  Sciences.  The  occasion  of  the 


492  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

presentation  and  acceptance  was  one  of  high  order  and 
much  manifest  interest.  In  presenting  the  canoe  Cap- 
tain Glazier  tendered  the  following  letter: 

" '  ST.  CHARLES  HOTEL,          \ 
NEW  ORLEANS,  Novfmber  21, 1881.  j 
J.  S.  COPES,  M.  D., 

President  New  Orleans  Academy  of  Sciences : 

DEAR  SIR  : — I  have  just  concluded  upon  the  border  of  the  State 
of  Louisiana  a  voyage  of  observation,  exploration,  and  discovery, 
and  as  you  have  expressed  considerable  interest  in  the  results  of  the 
expedition,  and  manifested  a  desire  to  possess  the  canoe  in  which 
my  explorations  were  made,  I  find  pleasure  in  presenting  it  to  your 
honorable  society  as  a  souvenir  of  the  voyage  and  discovery. 

During  this  canoe  journey  of  over  three  thousand  miles,  begin- 
ning at  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi  and  extending  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  locating  the  source  of  the  Great 
River  which  we  have  traversed,  and  feel  a  pride  in  having  cor- 
rected a  geographical  error  of  half  a  century's  standing. 

I  will  not  now  enter  into  a  detailed  account  of  my  explorations 
at  the  source  of  the  river,  but  shall  take  the  earliest  opportunity  of 
transmitting  to  your  secretary  a  complete  history  of  the  voyage, 
which  will  be  issued  in  book  form  as  soon  as  the  matter  can  be  pre- 
pared for  publication.  Very  respectfully  yours, 

WILLARD  GLAZIER. 

"A  special  meeting  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
was  held  at  No.  46  Carondelct  street,  Dr.  J.  S.  Copes, 
president,  in  the  chair,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving 
from  Captain  Willard  Glazier  the  handsome  cedar 
canoe  'Alice/  with  which  he  navigated  the  Missis- 
sippi River  from  Aitkin  to  the  Gulf. 

"  By  invitation  Captain  Glazier  gave  an  account  of 
his  explorations  on  the  Upper  Mississippi  and  espe- 
cially of  that  section  of  country  beyond  Lake  Itasca, 
which  body  of  water  has  hitherto  been  considered  the 
fountain-head  of  the  Great  River. 

"Dr.  Copes  in  the  name  of  the  Academy  thanked 


NEW  ORLEANS  ACADEMY  OF  SCIENCES.    493 

Captain  Glazier  for  his  valuable  gift,  which  would  be 
highly  prized,  and  then  congratulated  the  explorer 
upon  his  contribution  to  American  geographical  knowl- 
edge, comparing  him  with  De  Soto,  Marquette,  La 
Salle,  Hennepin,  and  Joliet,  whose  highest  fame  was 
connected  with  discoveries  relating  to  the  Mississippi. 

"In  the  course  of  his  remarks  the  learnod  doctor 
said  that  De  Soto  penetrated  the  continent  of  North 
America  in  pursuit  of  gold  and  accidentally  discovered 
the  Mississippi.  Marquette,  the  zealous  missionary, 
traversed  the  river  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas.  La  Salle  pursued  his 
explorations  from  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  to  the 
Gulf,  his  sole  aim  seeming  to  be  the  conquest  of  North 
America  in  the  name  of  the  King  of  France.  Henne- 
pin explored  but  a  small  section  of  the  stream,  extend- 
ing from  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  to  St.  Anthony's 
Falls,  while  Captain  Glazier  has  made  the  important 
discovery  of  its  primal  reservoir  and  traversed  its  en- 
tire length  from  source  to  sea. 

"  The  members  of  the  Academy  listened  with  great 
interest  to  Captain  Glazier's  graphic  history  of  his  dis- 
covery, and  also  to  the  intellectual  and  historical  ad- 
dress of  Dr.  Copes. 

"  Dr.  J.  R.  Walker  then  offered  the  following  reso- 
lutions: 

Resolved: — That  the  thanks  of  this  Academy  are  dus  and  are 
hereby  tendered  to  Captain  Willard  Glazier  for  the  donation  of  his 
beautiful  canoe  "Alice,"  and  for  the  brief  narrative  of  his  explora- 
tions at  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  of  his  voyage  thence 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Resolved: — That  this  Academy  not  only  gratefully  accepts  this 
handsome  gift,  but  promises  to  preserve  and  cherish  it  as  a  souvenir 
of  Captain  Glazier's  high  qualities  as  an  explorer  and  contributor 
to  the  increase  of  American  geographical  knowledge. 


494  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

"  Mr.  H.  Dudley  Coleman  moved  as  an  amendment 
thereto  that  a  copy  of  the  resolutions  be  appropriately 
written  and  framed,  and  presented  to  Captain  Glazier, 
and  that  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  prepare 
the  same  in  accordance  therewith. 

"The  resolutions  as  amended  were  unanimously 
adopted,  when  Dr.  Copes  appointed  as  the  committee, 
Messrs.  Coleman,  Walker,  and  Blanchard. 

"The  suggestion  made  by  Mr.  Coleman  that  the 
canoe  remain  at  the  arsenal  of  the  Battalion  Washing- 
ton Artillery  until  such  time  as  the  Academy  prepare 
a  suitable  place  for  it  was  acceded  to. 

"At  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting  Mr.  Coleman  es- 
corted Captain  Glazier  to  the  Washington  Artillery 
Arsenal,  and  introduced  him  to  Colonel  J.  B.  Richard- 
son, commanding  the  battalion,  who  accepted  for  the 
command  the  care  of  the  canoe,  and  extended  to  Captain 
Glazier  the  hospitalities  of  the  battalion  during  his 
stay  in  the  city.  Colonel  Richardson  and  Mr.  Cole- 
man then  took  him  around  the  arsenal  and  showed 
him  its  attractive  features." 

It  will  be  readily  seen  from  this  letter  that  the 
members  of  the  New  Orleans  Academy  of  Sciences 
were  much  impressed  with  the  importance  of  the  dis- 
covery Captain  Glazier  had  made.  The  resolutions 
which  they  passed  were  afterwards  handsomely  framed 
and  sent  to  him  at  St.  Louis. 

Among  the  many  courtesies  which  were  tendered  the 
Captain  during  his  stay  in  New  Orleans,  he  perhaps 
felt  most  deeply  the  royal  welcome  which  was  given 
him  by  the  Old  Guard  of  the  Louisiana  Tigers.  In 
his  own  words  "  they  could  not  do  too  much  "  for  him, 


NEW  ORLEANS  ACADEMY  OF  SCIENCES.   495 

and  when  we  remember  that  only  twenty  years  have 
passed  away  since  these  brave  men  and  the  gallant 
Union  soldier  fought  on  opposite  sides  on  the  battle- 
fields of  Virginia,  it  cannot  be  wondered  at  that  he 
was  much  impressed  witli  the  cordiality  of  his  recep- 
tion by  his  former  foes. 

At  the  headquarters  of  the  Washington  Artillery, 
too,  he  found  many  who  as  Confederate  officers  and 
soldiers"  had  formerly  been  his  opponents  in  the  war, 
but  nothing  could  exceed  the  heartiness  of  their  wel- 
come and  the  good-fellowship  which  they  displayed. 
They  showed  him  their  old  battle-flags  still  religiously 
kept,  but  a  moment  afterwards  pointed  to  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  which  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  the 
room.  Altogether  Captain  Glazier  found  it  difficult  to 
realize  that  there  had  ever  been  other  than  the  most 
cordial  feeling  between  the  North  and  South,  and  this  as 
much  as  anything  else  tended  to  make  his  stay  in  New 
Orleans  a  pleasure  which  he  will  long  remember. 


CHAPTER  XLI1. 

BEFORE  THE   MISSOURI    HISTORICAL   SOCIETY. 

Return  to  St.  Louis. — Lecture  at  Mercantile  Library  Hall. — Bril- 
liant audience. — The  Missouri  Historical  Society  present. — 
Eloquent  introduction  by  Judge  Todd. — "  Pioneers  of  the  Missis- 
sippi."— Presentation  of  the  "  Itasca  "  to  the  Historical  Society. — 
Remarks  of  Captain  Silas  Bent  on  accepting  the  canoe. — Con- 
gratulations of  the  audience. — Closing  scene. 

ON  leaving  New  Orleans  Captain  Glazier  returned 
to  St.  Louis,  having  an  engagement  there  to  de- 
liver his  lecture  on  the  "Pioneers  of  the  Mississippi." 
He  had  been  unable  to  remain  long  enough  for  this 
purpose  during  his  previous  visit  to  the  city  on  his 
way  down  the  river,  as  winter  was  rapidly  approaching 
and  it  was  expedient  to  reach  the  Gulf  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. Therefore,  as  many  were  anxious  to  hear  a 
lecture  which  had  been  so  highly  spoken  of  by  the 
press  of  other  cities,  he  had  been  induced  to  return 
with  this  object  in  view. 

He  was  also  desirous  of  donating  one  of  his  canoes,  the 
"Itasca,"  to  the  Missouri  Historical  Society  in  recog- 
nition of  the  unbounded  hospitality  he  had  enjoyed  at 
the  hands  of  the  citizens  of  St.  Louis,  and  it  was  dfc- 
cided  that  the  donation  of  the  canoe,  a  beautiful  speci- 
men of  the  Rob  Roy  pattern,  should  take  place  on  the 
night  of  the  lecture. 
(496) 


MISSOURI  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY.  497 

Accordingly,  on  the  evening  of  January  fourteenth, 
a  large  audience  consisting  of  members  of  the  Histori- 
cal Society,  Academy  of  Sciences,  clergy,  officers  and 
teachers  of  the  public  schools,  and  the  various  boat 
clubs  of  the  city,  assembled  at  Mercantile  Library  Hall 
to  listen  to  his  thrilling  lecture  on  the  pioneer  ex- 
plorers of  the  Mississippi,  and  to  witness  the  presenta- 
tion ceremonies. 

At  eight  o'clock,  Captain  Glazier,  accompanied  by 
Judge  Albert  Todd,  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  vice- 
president  of  the  Historical  Society,  made  his  appear- 
ance on  the  platform,  and,  after  the  storm  of  applause 
which  greeted  their  entry  had  subsided,  Judge  Todd 
stepped  to  the  front  and  introduced  the  lecturer  in  the 
following  terms: — 

Mark  Twain  wrote  that  in  his  oriental  travels  he  visited  the 
grave  of  our  common  ancestor,  Adam,  and  as  a  filial  mourner  he 
copiously  wept  over  it.  To  me,  the  grave  of  our  common  ances- 
tress, Eve,  would  be  more  worthy  of  my  filial  affection ;  but  in- 
stead of  weeping  over  it,  I  should  proudly  rojoice  by  reason  of  her 
irrepressible  desire  for  knowledge.  She  boldly  gratified  this  desire, 
and  thereby  lifted  Adam  up  from  the  indolent,  browsing  life  that  he 
seemed  disposed  and  content  to  pass  in  the  "  Garden,"  and  gave 
birth  to  that  spirit  of  inquiry  and  investigation  which  is  developing 
and  elevating  their  posterity  to  "man's  pride  of  place" — "a  little 
lower  than  the  angels,"  by  keeping  them  ever  discontented  with  the 
status  quo,  and  constantly  pressing  on  to  the  "  mark  of  their  high 
calling  "  beneath  the  blazing  legend  "  Excelsior."  It  is  the  ceaseless 
unrest  of  the  spirit,  one  of  the  greatest  evidences  of  the  soul's  immor- 
tality, that  is  continually  contracting  the  boundaries  of  the  unknown 
in  geography  and  astronomy,  in  physics  and  metaphysics,  in  all 
their  varied  departments.  Of  those  pre-eminently  illustrating  it  in 
geography  were  Jason  and  his  Argonauts ;  Columbus,  De  Gama 
and  Magellan ;  De  Soto,  Marquette  and  La  Salle ;  Cabot  and  Cook ; 
Spek3,  Baker,  Livingstone  and  Franklin;  and  our  own  Ledyard, 
Lewis,  Clarke,  Kane,  Hall  and  Stanley.  And  this  evening  will  ap 


498  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

pear  before  you  another  of  these  irrepressible  discontents  who  would 
know  what  is  still  hidden  at  any  risk  or  privation. 

Impelled  by  this  spirit  of  enterprise  in  search  of  Truth,  Captain 
Willard  Glazier  has  discovered,  at  last,  the  true  source  of  our  grand 
and  peerless  river,  the  "  Father  of  Waters,"  down  which  he  has 
floated  and  paddled  in  frail  canoes,  a  distance  of  more  than  three 
thousand  miles,  to  its  mouth  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  One  of  these 
canoes  is  now  placed  here  in  your  view,  and  will  be  presented  to- 
night by  its  navigator  to  our  Historical  Society. 

Nearly  two  hundred  years  ago  La  Salle  discovered  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi,  yet  only  now  in  this  year  of  grace,  1881,  was  as- 
certained its  true  fountain  source. 

This,  the  latest  achievement  of  Captain  Glazier,  is  only  in  the 
natural  course  of  his  antecedents.  Born  as  late  as  1841,  he  has  al- 
ready gone  through  the  experiences  of  the  Adamic  labors  of  a  tiller 
of  the  soil,  the  hard  toils  of  the  student  and  of  the  successful  teacher ; 
of  the  dashing  and  brilliant  cavalry  officer  in  the  Union  army 
through  the  whole  period  of  our  late  war,  from  its  disastrous  begin- 
ning to  its  successful  ending;  of  the  sufferings  of  capture  and  im- 
prisonment in  the  notorious  "  Libby  "  and  other  prisons,  and  of  a 
daring  and  perilous  escape  from  their  cruel  walls ;  of  an  adventur- 
ous tourist  on  horseback  through  the  most  civilized  and  savage  por- 
tions of  our  continent,  beginning  with  the  feet  of  his  horse  in  the 
waters  of  the  Atlantic,  and  ending  with  their  splash  in  the  waters 
of  the  Pacific.  He  delivered  lectures  along  his  route  wherever  a 
civilized  audience  could  be  collected,  and  suffered  capture  by  the 
Indians,  with  all  its  sensational  romance  and  hideous  prospects. 

From  the  material  of  these  antecedents  he  has  written  and  pub- 
lished several  books  of  singular  interest  and  national  value. 

From  this  brief  sketch  we  would  naturally  expect  to  see  a  stal- 
wart man,  massive  and  powerful  in  form  and  muscle.  Our  concep- 
tion of  men  of  big  deeds  is  that  they  also  are  big.  But  David  was 
a  stripling  when  he  slew  Goliath  of  Gath.  Napoleon  was  character- 
ized by  the  society  ladies  of  the  period  of  his  early  career  as  "  Puss 
in  Boots."  Our  own  Fremont  and  Eads  would  seem  at  sight  capable 
of  only  the  ordinarily  exposed  duties  of  life.  Of  like  physique  is 
the  subject  of  this  introduction. 

Ladies  and  gentlemen,  it  is  now  my  pleasant  privilege  to  intro- 
duce to  your  acquaintance  Captain  Willard  Glazier  as  the  lecturer 
for  the  evening. 


MISSOURI  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY.  499 

At  the  close  of  Judge  Todd's  introduction,  Captain 
Glazier  began  his  thrilling  and  historic  lecture  on  the 
"  Pioneers  of  the  Mississippi,"  holding  the  attention  of 
all  present  by  the  interest  of  his  subject  and  the  elo- 
quence of  his  delivery.  Beginning  with  De  Soto, 
the  discoverer  of  the  Great  River,  he  gave  an  account 
of  his  early  life  and  adventures,  of  his  ambition  to 
found  an  empire  like  that  of  Cortez,  and  of  his  arrival 
at  the  mighty  stream  in  whose  waters  he  soon  found 
his  final  resting-place. 

Marquette,  the  self-sacrificing  missionary,  was 
brought  vividly  before  the  mind's  eye  of  the  hearer  as 
the  Captain  described  in  glowing  terms  the  zeal 
with  which  he  preached  the  Gospel  to  the  poor  be- 
nighted Indians,  and  drew  a  picture  with  all  its 
poetical  surroundings  of  his  death  and  burial  in  the 
wilderness. 

La  Salle  came  next,  pushing  onward  down  the  river 
until  he  planted  his  triumphant  banner  on  the  shores 
of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  took  possession  of  the 
surrounding  country  in  the  name  of  the  King  of 
France.  Hennepin  and  Joliet  then  claimed  the  at- 
tention of  the  eloquent  speaker,  and  their  exploits 
were  clearly  and  forcibly  recounted  in  graphic  lan- 
guage. Other  explorers  were  mentioned,  but  these 
formed  the  ground-work  of  the  lecture — a  lecture  re- 
plete with  historical  interest,  and  crowded  with  such  a 
vivid  portrayal  of  incidents  that  from  beginning  to 
end  one  can  see  as  in  a  panorama  the  Great  River  and 
all  the  mighty  men  whose  fame  is  indissolubly  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  its  waters. 


500  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  lecture  the  following  letter 
to  the  President  of  the  Historical  Society  was  read : 

1310  OLIVE  STREET,     •» 
ST.  Louis,  January  14,  1882.  / 
EDWIN  HARRISON,  Esq., 

President  Missouri  Historical  Society : 

DEAR  SIR  : — In  my  recent  canoe  voyage  down  the  Mississippi, 
it  was  my  good  fortune  to  receive  many  courtesies  at  the  hands  of  the 
press,  boat  clubs,  and  other  citizens  of  St.  Louis.  This,  coupled 
with  the  fact  that  you  have  expressed  considerable  interest  in  the 
result  of  my  explorations,  inclines  me  to  present  you  the  "Itasca," 
one  of  the  canoes  used  in  the  expedition,  for  the  Museum  of  your 
Society,  as  a  memento  of  my  voyage  and  discovery. 

During  this  tour  of  observation  and  exploration,  extending  from 
the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  I 
had  the  satisfaction  of  locating  the  source  of  the  mighty  stream 
down  which  we  paddled  our  canoes  to  the  sea. 

I  am  not  now  in  a  position  to  give  you  a  detailed  account  of  my 
explorations  on  the  Great  River,  but  shall  avail  myself  of  the  ear- 
liest opportunity  to  transmit  to  your  Secretary  a  complete  history 
of  the  voyage,  which  will  be  issued  in  book  form  as  soon  as  the 
matter  can  be  put  in  proper  shape  for  publication. 

Very  truly  yours, 

WILLARD  GLAZIER, 

In  response  to  this  letter  Captain  Silas  Bent,  late  of 
the  United  States  Navy,  accepted  for  the  Society  the 
canoe  in  these  words: 

CAPTAIN  GLAZIER: — It  becomes  my  pleasant  duty  to  accept  for 
the  Missouri  Historical  Society  this  beautiful  canoe,  which  has  it- 
self become  historic  by  reason  of  the  service  it  has  rendered  you. 
It  shall  be  deposited  with  other  treasured  relics  in  our  museum. 

I  have  also  to  express  to  you  the  high  appreciation  in  which 
the  Society  holds  the  valuable  contributions  to  geographical  knowl- 
edge resulting  from  your  explorations  among  the  headwaters  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  your  discovery  of  the  remotest  lake  that 
contributes  to  the  perennial  birth  of  this  hydra-headed  "  Father  of 
Waters,"  whose  Genesis  near  the  Arctic  regions  gives  it  a  length  of 
more  than  three  thousand  miles  to  the  tropical  gulf,  to  which  it 
bears  upon  its  ample  bosom  in  safety  the  freightage  of  an  empire. 


MISSOURI  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY.  5Q1 

I  desire,  too,  to  thank  you  for  the  interesting  lecture  just  given 
us  upon  the  achievements  of  the  heroic  old  explorers,  who  have  in 
centuries  past  preceded  you  in  investigations  of  the  characteristics 
of  this  river.  But  whilst  past  investigations  have  made  us  familiar 
with  the  general  character  of  the  stream,  and  the  peculiarities  of  its 
many  mouths,  yet  we  know  very  little  of  its  source ;  and  should  be 
gratified  I  am  sure  if  you  could  give  us  this  evening  a  brief  account 
of  the  circumstances  attending  your  explorations  in  that  direction, 
and  of  the  difficulties  you  had  to  encounter  in  the  accomplishment 
of  your  object. 

In  compliance  with  Captain  Bent's  request  that  he 
would  give  some  account  of  the  events  connected  with 
his  discovery  of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi,  Captain 
Glazier,  greatly  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  large  and  ap- 
preciative audience,  now  briefly  narrated  the  leading 
incidents  in  his  voyage  of  exploration. 

When  he  had  concluded  his  personal  narrative  many 
came  forward  to  congratulate  him  upon  his  discovery, 
and  to  express  their  appreciation  of  the  great  work  he 
had  accomplished.  All  inspected  the  "  Itasca,"  which 
occupied  a  prominent  position  on  the  platform,  with  the 
curiosity  human  nature  invariably  feels  concerning  any 
object  closely  connected  with  the  fame  of  a  great  man 
or  daring  exploit.  The  beautiful  canoe  was  afterwards 
placed  on  exhibition  at  the  rooms  of  the  Historical 
Society. 


CHAPTER  XLTII. 

GREETINGS  OF  THE   VOYAGE. 

An  interesting  souvenir. — Greeting  at  Lake  Glazier. — Petition  to 
Geographical  Societies. — Voice  from  Aitkin,  Gate  City  of  the  Up- 
per Mississippi. — Tributes  from  Brainerd. — Mississippi  Pyramid. 
— An  old  friend  at  La  Crosse. — Greetings  at  St.  Louis. — Senator 
Lamar. — Royal  welcome  at  Bayou  Tunica. — Sentiment  of  Port 
Eads. — Congratulations  of  the  officers  of  the  "  Margaret." — 
Greetings  from  New  Orleans. — "Fame's  triple  wreath." — Closing 
remarks. 

SUCH  an  expedition  as  Captain  Glazier  has  just 
concluded,  inevitably  gives  birth  to  many  sou- 
venirs and  trophies  of  the  undertaking  which  are  al- 
ways interesting,  not  only  to  their  immediate  recipient 
but  also  to  the  public  generally ;  for  a  man  of  his 
calibre  is  in  one  sense  public  property,  and  as 
such  everything  associated  with  any  important  enter- 
prise of  his,  is  loudly  demanded  by  men  of  all  classes 
without  regard  to  what  would  be  considered  its  privacy 
under  other  circumstances.  It  was  the  author's  good 
fortune  to  see  such  a  souvenir  of  the  voyage — an  album 
in  which  are  inscribed  the  autographs  of  eminent  men 
from  various  points  along  the  entire  route  traversed, 
the  first  being  dated  at  the  source  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  the  last  on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf;  and  the  thought 
occurred  to  him  that  this  memento  of  the  latest  exploit 
in  Captain  Glazier's  exciting  life  could  not  Tail  to  be  an 
object  of  great  interest  to  the  reader  who  had  thus  far 
followed  the  soldier,  author,  and  explorer  in  his  eveut- 
(502) 


GREETINGS  OF  THE  VOYAGE.  5Q3 

ful  and  successful  career.  He  therefore  obtained  per- 
mission to  make  a  few  extracts  from  the  large  number 
before  him,  and  these  Greetings  of  the  Voyage  are 
now  presented  to  the  public  as  a  fitting  conclusion  to  the 
story  of  the  Captain's  voyage  from  source  to  sea. 

The  firsc  in  order  is  naturally  that  of  Barrett  Chan- 
ning  Paine,  his  constant  companion  during  the  entire 
voyage.  Standing  by  the  discoverer's  side  at  the  foun- 
tain-head of  the  Great  River,  he  wrote : 

LAKE  GLAZIER,  MINNESOTA,     •» 
July  22,  1881.  j 

MY  DEAR  CAPTAIN: — From  this  beautiful  lake  where  the 
mighty  Mississippi  rises,  my  best  wishes  follow  you  down  the 
course  of  the  "Father  of  Waters"  till  it  mingles  its  flood  with  the 
sea.  Very  truly  yours, 

BARRETT  CHANNING  PAINE. 

We  next  quote  a  petition  of  Captain  Glazier's  com- 
panions to  the  Geographical  Societies  of  the  country,  al- 
though it  is  not  found  in  the  album.  It  was  published 
in  the  Missouri  "Republican"  and  various  other  news- 
papers, but  being  dated  Schoolcraft's  Island,  the  first 
stopping  place  after  leaving  the  source  of  the  river, 
it  seems  quite  naturally  to  follow  the  greeting  of  Mr. 

Paine: 

SCHOOLCRAFT'S  ISLAND,     -» 
LAKE  ITASCA,  July  22,  1881.  j 
To  GEOGRAPHICAL  SOCIETIES: 

We,  the  undersigned  companions  of  Captain  Willard  Glazier,  in 
his  voyage  of  exploration  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi,  are 
fully  convinced  that  the  lake  discovered  by  him  and  claimed  as  the 
head  of  the  river,  is  beyond  question  the  source  of  the  "  Father  of 
Waters." 

The  privilege  of  bestowing  a  name  upon  the  new  discovery  having 
been  delegated  to  us,  we  hereby  name  it  Lake  Glazier  in  honor  of 
the  leader  of  the  expedition,  whose  energy,  perseverance,  and  pluck 


504  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

carried  us  through  many  difficulties,  and  brought  us  at  last  to  the 
shores  of  this  beautiful  lake  which  is  the  true  source  of  the  Great 
River. 

We  earnestly  petition  all  Geographical  Societies  to  give  it  that 
prominence  which  has  heretofore  been  accorded  to  Lake  Itasca,  and 
to  which  it  is  justly  entitled  as  the  primal  reservoir  of  the  grandest 
river  on  this  continent. 

[SIGNED.] 
BARRETT  CHANNING  PAINE,  "I 

Indianapolis,  Indiana. 
GEORGE  HERBERT  GLAZIER,  \       White  Companion* 

Chicago,  Illinois. 
MOSES  LAGARD, 


CHE-NO-WA-GE-SIC, 


Interpreter 


SEBATISE  LAGARD,  f  Indian  Guides' 

Leech  Lake,  Minnesota. 

The  inhabitants  of  Aitkin,  the  first  town  of  impor- 
tance on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  took  great  interest  in 
the  expedition,  and  did  all  they  could  to  show  their 
appreciation  of  the  intrepid  explorer.  The  following 
is  from  the  pen  of  Warren  Potter,  one  of  the  pioneer 
citizens  of  the  place : 

AITKIN,  MINNESOTA,     ^ 
August  15,  1881:  J 
CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER: 

As  you  float  in  your  birch  canoe  upon  the  bosom  of  the  "  Father 
of  Waters"  toward  the  sea,  remember  Aitkin,  the  Gate  City  of  the 
Upper  Mississippi.  Yours  very  truly, 

WARREN  POTTER. 

Brainerd,  situated  at  the  point  where  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  crosses  the  Mississippi,  is  a  thriving 
town  with  a  population  of  from  five  to  six  thousand, 
and  has  the  honor  of  possessing  the  first  newspaper 
encountered  in  the  descent  of  the  river.  This 
paper,  the  Braiuerd  "Tribune"  exhibited  much  cor- 


GREETINGS  OF  THE  VOYAGE.  505 

dial  interest  in  Captain  Glazier  and  his  daring  explor- 
ations, and  from  time  to  time  published  accounts  of 
the  voyage.  The  autographs  of  its  editor,  Arthur  E. 
Chase,  and  associate  editor,  A.  W.  Frater,  who  is  an 
ardent  admirer  of  the  soldier-author's  spirited  writings, 
are  both  found  in  the  album,  as  is  also  that  of  Chauncy 
B.  Sleeper,  district  attorney  for  the  county,  who  in- 
troduced him  to  the  first  audience  before  whom  he 
delivered  his  lecture  on  the  "  Pioneers  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi." 

DEAR  CAPTAIN  : — That  your  voyage  down  the  Great  "  Father 
of  Waters"  may  be  fraught  with  experiences  both  pleasant  and 
profitable,  and  that  your  undertaking  may  prove  a  worthy  epoch  in 
American  history  are  the  wishes  of  Your  sincere  friend, 

ARTHUR  E.  CHASE. 
BRAINERD,  MINNESOTA, 
August  19,  1881. 

CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER: 

May  your  future  literary  productions  prove  as  good  as  theme 
written  in  the  past,  and  may  success  attend  you  forever. 

Very  truly  yours, 

A.  W.  FRATER. 
BRAINERD,  MINNESOTA, 
August  19,  1881. 

To  CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER: 

The  best  wishes,  the  highest  culture,  and  most  honest  purposes 
attend  thee,  and  be  thy  constant  conipagnons  de  voyage. 

CHAUNCY  B.  SLEEPER. 

BRAINERD,  August  19,  1881. 

A.  F.  Story,  district  attorney  for  Benton  County, 
indicates  in  a  very  graphic  manner  the  position  Cap- 
tain Glazier  occupies  in  the  distinguished  line  of  Mis- 
sissippi explorers: 


606  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

The  Mississippi  Pyramid. 

DE  SOTO. 

MAEQUETTE. 

LA     S   A   L    L   E. 

HENNEPIN. 

o  L  .A.  z  x  E  :R. 

LITTLE  FALLS,  MINNESOTA,  Very  truly  yours, 

August  20,  1881.  A.  F.  STORY. 

At  St.  Cloud  Judge  L.  A.  Evans  introduced  Captain 
Glazier  to  his  audieuce  on  the  evening  of  his  lecture  in 
that  city,  and  wrote  as  follows  in  the  album  : 

ST.  CLOUD,  MINNESOTA,     •» 
August  23,  1881. } 
To  CAPTAIN  GLAZIER: 

May  your  life-voyage  and  your  contemplated  voyage  to  the  mouth 
of  the  "Father  of  Waters"  be  pleasant  and  profitable. 

Yours  truly, 

L.  A.  EVANS. 

Mr.  Samuel  E.  Adams,  whose  patriotic  greeting  to 
the  brave  navigator  we  quote  next,  is  the  editor  of  the 
Monticello  "Times,"  and  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers 
in  that  part  of  Minnesota. 

MONTICELLO,  August  24,  1881. 

Love  of  one's  country  is  always  commendable,  and  may  your 
labors  in  its  defence  in  the  past  and  its  development  in  the  future 
be  crowned  with  imperishable  renown. 

Very  truly  yours, 

SAMUEL  E.  ADAMS. 
To  CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER. 


GREETINGS  OF  THE  VOYAGE.  507 

The  first  man  to  welcome  Captain  Glazier  at  La 
Crosse  was  Pearce  Giles,  an  old  acquaintance  whom  he 
had  known  for  many  years  in  the  East.  Mr.  Giles 
tenders  his  congratulations  in  these  words : 

MY  DEAR  CAPTAIN  : — I  congratulate  you  on  your  important  dis- 
covery of  the  true  source  of  the  Mississippi — a  discovery  which  must 
associate  your  name  forever  with  the  "  Father  of  Waters."  The  in- 
telligence, earnestness,  pluck,  and  persistence  you  have  displayed  in 
this  and  numerous  other  ways,  are  such  as  to  give  you  a  place 
among  the  great  Americans  who  have  not  lived  in  vain  for  their 
country.  Always  sincerely  yours, 

PEARCE  GILES. 

LA  CROSSE,  WISCONSIN, 

September  11,  1881. 

At  Davenport,  Iowa,  Captain  Glazier  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  again  meeting  Colonel  P.  A.  J.  Russell,  city 
editor  of  the  "Democrat."  This  gentleman  had  been 
the  first  to  greet  him  on  his  arrival  in  that  city  during 
his  journey  across  the  continent  in  1876,  and  it  was 
with  much  cordiality  that  he  now  shook  hands  with 
the  Captain  and  congratulated  him  upon  the  success  of 
his  latest  expedition.  But  we  will  let  him  express  his 
sentiments  in  his  own  language : 

DAVENPORT,  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI,     * 
September  25,  1881.  j 
To  CAPTAIN  GLAZIER: 

Safety  and  success — thus  far 

Adown  this  mighty  stream  ; 
May  heaven  guard  your  progress  still 
And  grant  fulfilment  of  your  dream. 

Very  truly  yours, 

P.  A.  J.  KUSSELL. 

While  at  Bellevue  Captain  Glazier  was  entertained 
most  agreeably  by  W.  O.  Evans,  editor  of  the  Belle- 


508  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

vue  "Republican"  who  welcomed  him  on  his  arrival, 
and  launched  his  canoe  when  he  resumed  his  voyage. 
He  seemed  greatly  interested  in  the  Captain's  explora- 
tions, and  expressed  his  interest  in  this  manner: 

DEAR  CAPTAIN: — That  health,  wealth,  success,  and  perpetual 
youth  may  attend  you  in  all  your  grand  schemes  and  enterprises 
through  the  voyage  of  life,  is  the  wish  of  your  new-made  friend, 

BELLEVUE,  IOWA,  W.  O.  EVANS. 

September  18,  1881. 

The  "Post-Dispatch"  one  of  the  leading  newspapers 
of  St.  Louis,  was  foremost  in  publishing  accounts  of  the 
explorer's  voyage  from  the  time  he  left  the  headwaters 
of  the  Mississippi  until  he  reached  the  Gulf,  and 
therefore  the  autograph  of  its  editor,  Colonel  John  A. 
Cockerill,  is  of  special  interest: 

The  "Po >*t- Dispatch,"  sailing  on  a  prosperous  pea,  sends  greeting 
and  good  wishes  to  Captain  Glazier  and  all  daring  navigators. 
ST.  Louis,  MISSOURI,  JOHN  A.  COCKERTLI* 

October  8,  1881. 

Thomas  E.  Garrett,  on  the  staff  of  the  "Republican" 
inscribed  the  following  poetic  tribute: 

On  land  and  water — staunch  and  true, 
You  steer  and  paddle  your  own  canoe, 
Strong  arm,  brave  heart,  will  pull  you  through. 
Very  truly  yours, 

THOMAS  E.  GARRETT. 
MISSOURI  BEPUBLICAX  OFFICE, 

ST.  Louis,  October  14,  1881. 

We  next  quote  from  the  pen  of  General  Charles  H. 
Sargent,  a  veteran  correspondent  of  the  Cincinnati 
"Enquirer"  He  met  Captain  Glazier  in  St.  Louis, 
and  was  much  interested  in  the  success  of  his  expedi- 
tion : 


GREETINGS  OF  THE  VOYAGE.  509 

MY  DEAR  CAPTAIN  GLAZIER: 

Brains  and  nerve  well  directed  insure  honor,  esteem,  and  merited 
succes?.  Long  may  you  live  to  enjoy  as  well  as  add  to  your  literary 
ar  d  other  well-earned  laurels,  and  continue  successfully  to  "paddle 
your  own  canoe"  to  a  final  harbor  and  home  of  bliss. 

CHARLES  H.  SARGENT. 

ST.  Louis,  October  15,  1881. 

The  editor  of  the  Helena  "Yeoman"  writes: 

CAPTAIN  GLAZIER: — May  your  present  voyage  down  the  great 
Mississippi  redound  to  your  credit,  and  add  to  the  high  honors  you 
have  already  won.  W.  L.  MORRIS, 

HELENA,  ARKANSAS, 

"Yeoman"  OFFICE.  October  22,  1881. 

J.  J.  Flahift,  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
at  Helena,  greets  the  daring  navigator  in  these  terms  : 

"Nothing  great  is  lightly  won, 

Nothing  won  is  lost ; 
Every  good  deed  nobly  done, 

Will  repay  the  cost, 
Leave  to  Heaven  in  humble  trust 

All  you  will  to  do," 
But,  to  reach  the  Gulf,  you  must 

Paddle  your  own  canoe. 

HELENA,  ARKANSAS,  J.  J.  FLAHIFT. 

October  26,  1881. 

At  Natchez  Captain  Glazier  had  the  pleasure  of 
hearing  Senator  Lamar  deliver  a  political  speech,  and 
was  afterwards  introduced  to  him  at  the  hotel  where 
both  were  registered.  Lamar  seemed  much  interested 
in  the  Captain's  explorations,  and  so  signifies  in  his 
autograph : 

Glad  to  have  met  you,  and  I  leave  with  you  my  best  wishes  for 
the  success  of  your  undertaking.  L.  Q.  C.  LAMAR. 

NATCHEZ,  MISSISSIPPI, 

November  3,  1881. 


510  SWORD  AKD  PEN. 

Bayou  Tunica  will  always  be  held  in  pleasant  re- 
membrance by  Captain  Glazier,  for  he  was  there  most 
hospitably  received  and  entertained  by  John  J.  AVinn, 
a  prosperous  merchant  and  planter.  Mr.  Winn  in- 
sisted upon  his  remaining  with  him  for  two  days,  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  a  violent  storm  which  rendered 
the  river  unnavigable,  and  every  effort  was  made  to 
make  the  time  pass  agreeably.  His  greeting  to  the 
explorer  is  short  but  to  the  point : 

Welcome  to  Tunica. 
May  your  voyage  to  the  Gulf  be  a  pleasant  one. 

Yours  very  truly, 

JOHN  J.  WINH. 
BAYOU  TUNICA,  LA., 

November  5,  1881. 

Mr.  V.  U.  Lefebre,  one  of  the"  wealthiest  sugar 
planters  of  Louisiana,  greets  the  Captain  in  French, 
the  tongue  of  his  mother  country : 

CHER  CAPITAINE: — J'espere  que  votre  voyage  au  Golfe  sera 
agreable  que  vous  garderes  un  bon  souvenir  de  la  Louisiane. 

Votre  sincere, 

V.  U.  LEFEBRE. 
ELIZA  PLANTATION, 

November  9,  1881. 

The  inhabitants  of  Port  Eads,  the  terminal  point  of 
the  voyage,  displayed,  if  possible,  a  more  vivid  interest 
in  the  expedition  than  those  of  any  other  town  along 
the  river,  for  here  it  was  that  the  goal  was  reached, 
and  the  Captain's  daring  and  hazardous  undertaking 
placed  beyond  the  reach  of  failure.  Some  description 
has  already  been  given  of  the  triumphant  manner  in 
which  the  arrival  of  the  "Alice"  at  the  Gulf  was  pro- 
claimed by  the  people,  and  the  following  lines  of  F. 


GREETINGS  OF  THE  VOYAGE.  51 1 

C.  Welschaus,  one  of  its  citizens,  expresses  in  all  prob- 
ability the  general  sentiment  of  Port  Eads : 

To  THE  DISCOVERER  OF  MISSISSIPPI'S  SOURCE: 

May  all  your  undertakings  prove  as  successful  as  this  one, 

F.  C.  WELSCHAUS. 
PORT  EADS,  LA.,  November  15, 1881. 

This  kindly  wish  of  Mr.  Welschaus  in  reality  con- 
cludes the  greetings  of  the  voyage  proper,  but  when 
Captain  Glazier  returned  to  New  Orleans,  and  after- 
wards to  St.  Louis,  others  were  added  to  the  number, 
some  of  which  are  of  such  interest  that  the  author 
takes  pleasure  in  quoting  them. 

The  first  in  point  of  time  was  written  by  the  officers 
of  the  steamship  "  Margaret,"  on  board  of  which  Cap- 
tain Glazier  steamed  back  to  New  Orleans. 

On  board  Steamship  "  MARGARET."     •» 
November  16,  1881. } 
To  CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER: 

We  congratulate  you  upon  the  successful  completion  of  your 
great  undertaking,  and  ask  you  to  accept  the  following  as  our 
sincere  wish  and  fervent  prayer : 

"  May  your  bark  of  mortality 
Glide  down  the  Stream  of  Time, 
And  land  at  last  at  that  glorious  haven 
Where  nothing  reigns  supreme, 
But  joy,  health,  prosperity,  and  happiness." 
JOHN  OTTESON, 

Commander. 
RICHARD  HUNTER,  ALBERT  J.  SCHLESINGER, 

Chief  Officer.  Purser. 

While  in  New  Orleans  Captain  Glazier  had  an  op- 
portunity to  listen  to  a  sermon  by  Reverend  B.  M. 
Palmer,  an  eminent  clergyman  of  that  city.  The  Cap- 
tain afterwards  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Dr. 


512  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

Palmer,  who  subscribed  this  beautiful  and  poetic  wish 
in  the  album : 

CAPTAIN  GLAZIER: — May  your  exploration  of  the  Mississippi 
from  its  source  to  its  mouth  be  typical  of  your  voyage  of  life,  as  it 
rolls  with  its  swelling  flood  into  the  bosom  of  God. 

Yours  in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel, 

B.  M.  PALMER, 

Pastor  First  Presbyterian  Church. 
NEW  ORLEANS,  LA., 

November  22,  1881. 

H.  Dudley  Coleman,  a  member  of  the  New  Orleans 
Academy  of  Sciences,  and  also  of  the  Washington 
Artillery,  extended  many  courtesies,  although,  as  a 
cavalry  officer  in  the  Confederate  army,  his  command 
had  frequently  been  opposed  to  that  of  the  Union 
soldier  on  the  battle-fields  of  Virginia.  His  Southern 
gallantry  probably  induced  him  to  adopt  the  following 
amusing  method  of  congratulating  the  explorer  on  the 
success  of  his  expedition  : 

To  CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER: 

Referring  to  your  long,  kng  float 

In  "Alice,"  that  light,  pretty  boat, 

The  strangest  thing  to  me  is  this, 

You  made  the  trip  without  a  miss; 

Which  proves  you  must  have  been  quite  clever, 

Yet  "Miss."  stands  sometimes  for  the  river 

Mississippi.    Ah  !  Don't  you  see? 

There's  no  use,  "Cap" — it  cannot  be  ; 

Men  seldom  have  made  a  success 

Of  anything — that's  grand — unless 

The  ladies  join  or  take  a  hand ; 

Madam  or  Miss — water  or  land. 

Yours  with  hearty  congratulations, 

H.  DUDLEY  COLEMAJT. 
ORLEANS,  LA., 

November  25,  1881. 


GREETINGS  OF  THE  VOYAGE.  51,3 

Albert  G.  Blanchard,  also  a  member  of  the  New 
Orleans  Academy  of  Sciences,  and  formerly  a  briga- 
dier-general, C.  S.  A.,  shows  his  appreciation  of  the 
explorations  which  Captain  Glazier  had  successfully 
completed  in  these  terms: 

1  congratulate  you  on  your  successful  exploration  of  the  head- 
waters of  the  Mississippi  Riveij  Your  name  will  always  be  hon- 
ored with  that  of  Robert  Cavalier  de  la  Salle,  the  discoverer  of  the 
outlet  of  this  river  as  you  are  of  its  source. 

Very  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

ALBERT  G.  BLANCHARD, 

NEW  ORLEANS,  Deputy  City  Surveyor. 

November  22,  1881. 

We  next  quote  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  J.  S.  Copes,  the 
learned  President  of  the  New  Orleans  Academy  of 
Sciences.  Dr.  Copes  manifested  an  intense  interest  in 
the  results  of  Captain  Glazier's  expedition,  and  en- 
deavored by  every  method  within  his  power  to  show 
the  high  estimation  in  which  he  held  the  intrepid  ex- 
plorer : 

CAPTAIN  GLAZIER:—!  cootrratulate  you  upon  the  successful 
completion  of  your  search  for  the  primal  reservoir  of  the  Missis- 
sippi Eiver.  It  would  be  well  for  the  country  to  erect  before  the 
view  of  its  youths  and  young  men  two  monuments,  three  thousand 
miles  asunder — the  one  at  the  source,  the  other  at  the  mouth  of  the 
great  river  of  North  America — upon  which  should  be  chiseled 
"  Enterprise,  Courage,  Faith,  Fortitude,  Patriotism,  Philanthropy," 
leaving  to  posterity  the  selection  of  an  illustrative  name  to  be  en- 
graven on  each  one  when  events  shall  have  pointed  conclusively  to 
the  benefactors  most  worthy  of  this  honor. 

With  great  respect, 

Yours  very  truly, 

J.  S.  COPES, 

President  New  Orleans  Academy  of  Sciences. 
NEW  ORLEANS, 

November  19,  1881. 


514  .     SWORD  ASD  PEN. 

We  will  conclude  this  pleasing  souvenir  of  the  voy- 
age by  quoting  the  sentiment  of  Judge  Albert  Todd, 
who,  it  will  be  remembered,  introduced  Captain  Gla- 
zier to  his  audience  at  St.  Louis  upon  the  occasion  of 
his  lecture  on  the  "  Pioneers  of  the  Mississippi,"  and 
the  presentation  of  the  "Itasca"  to  the  Missouri  His- 
torical Society.  Judge  Todd  is  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  reputed  citizens  of  St.  Louis,  and  showed  an  es- 
pecial appreciation  of  the  Captain's  endeavors  to  in- 
crease the  geographical  lore  of  the  Mississippi  River  : 

To  CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER — Gree.ing: 

With  triple  wreaths  doth  Fame  thine  head  now  crown ; 

The  patriot-Soldier's,  in  fierce  battles  won  ; 

The  "  Pen's,"  than  the  "  Sword's,"  mankind's  greater  boon ; 

The  bold  Explorer's  finding  where  was  born 

The  rivers'  King,  till  now,  like  Nile's,  unknown. 

May  years  of  high  emprise  increase  thy  fame, 
And  with  thy  death  arise  a  deathless  name. 

ALBERT  TODD, 

Vice-President  Missouri  Historical  Society. 
ST.  Louis,  January  14,  1882. 


The  career  of  Captain  Glazier  up  to  the  present 
time  affords  much  food  for  thought  and  speculation. 
His  life  is  pre-eminently  a  life  of  success,  and  is  a  bril- 
liant example  of  what  can  be  accomplished  by  the  aid 
of  an  indomitable  will  and  untiring  energy.  Although 
his  early  advantages  of  education  and  position  were  of 
a  most  ordinary  description,  nothing  he  has  ever  at- 
tempted failed,  and  none  of  his  successes  have  been 
mediocre.  As  a  soldier  he  rose  from  a  private  to  the 
rank  of  captain,  and  was  known  as  one  of  the  bravest 
officers  on  the  field — one  of  the  best  disciplinarians  in 
camp  ;  as  an  author  his  works  are  found  in  nearly  every 


GENERAL  REMARKS.  515 

home  in  the  land,  and  are  read  with  interest  by  people 
of  all  ages,  classes,  and  conditions  of  life;  as  a  lect- 
urer, the  press  has  ever  spoken  of  him  in  the  kindliest 
and  most  favorable  terms ;  as  an  equestrian  traveler  he 
accomplished  a  feat  never  before  attempted,  and  prob- 
ably knows  more  about  the  wide  stretch  of  country 
through  which  he  passed  than  any  other  man  living ; 
as  a  navigator  and  explorer  he  not  only  discovered 
what  had  baffled  the  most  determined  of  all  previous 
explorers,  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  River,  but  also 
paddled  his  own  canoe  down  the  entire  course  from  its 
fountain-head  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  He  has  then 
unquestionably  succeeded  in  all  that  he  has  undertaken  ; 
and,  as  all  men  aim  at  success,  the  query  naturally 
arises,  why  is  it  that  Willard  Glazier  occupies  so  high 
a  position  in  each  of  his  many  fields  of  labor?  The 
answer  in  all  probability  lies  in  the  fact  that  while 
many  men  have  ambition,  few  have  the  untiring  in- 
dustry, the  calm  perseverance,  the  determined  will,  and 
unfaltering  faith  in  themselves  to  grasp  and  hold  the 
objects  of  that  ambition.  Captain  Glazier  has  never 
known  what  failure  means,  and  recalling  the  events  of 
his  life  as  portrayed  in  this  narrative,  now  drawing  to 
a  close,  we  can  understand  why  this  is  true.  Unceas- 
ing labor  seems  to  have  been  his  motto.  As  soon  as 
he  had  pursued  one  path  of  industry  or  research  until 
it  could  lead  him  no  further,  he  sought  out  and  trav- 
ersed another  with  unexampled  patience  and  unflag- 
ging zeal.  What  wonder  in  the  light  of  such  energy 
that  unqualified  success  has  crowned  his  arduous 
efforts ! 

His  career  affords  an  example  which  all  men  would 
do  well  to  reflect  upon  and  imitate.     May  the  Youth 


616  SWORD  AND  PEN. 

of  America,  by  the  contemplation  of  a  life  still  young 
and  yet  so  fraught  with  mighty  deeds,  be  especially  in- 
spired with  the  ambition  to  follow  in  his  footsteps,  and 
a  will  to  "carve  with  many  a  sharp  incision,"  from 
the  shapeless  block  which  lies  before  each,  the  rounded 
outlines  of  a  strong  and  noble  character. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Form  L9 — 15*n-10,'48  (B1039 )  444 


E601     Qwans   - 


G46s     Sword  and  pen, 


A     001  157372     2 


E601 

G46s 


* 


